Originally published in the early 1900s, this extremely rare early work on the Rat is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. READ COUNTRY BOOKS have now republished it, using the original text and illustrations. The author was an acknowledged expert upon pests and their extinction. He was also a member of the London College of Pestology and was instrumental with others in placing a "Bill for Rat Destruction" before Parliament in 1908. This important book on Rats and their control, consists of one hundred and seventeen pages containing seventeen Detailed chapters and a number of vintage illustrations: History of the Rat. Species of Rats, Voles and Mice. Description of Same. The Domestic Mouse and How to Deal with It. Habits of the Rat, and its Fecundity. Waste of Food, and Damage Caused by Rats. The Rat as a Carrier of Disease and a Menace to Health. Natural Enemies of the Rat. The Rodier System. How to Kill Rats. Stopping. Flooding and Smoking. Ferreting. Trapping. Poisons. Bacterial Cultures. Rats on the Estate, Farm, and in Outbuildings. Rats in Shops, Factories, Warehouses and Dwellings. Rats in Sewers. Rats on Board Ships. Suggested Measures. Deratisation. Also retained are numerous original adverts for Traps, Poisons, Rat Lime and Rat Varnish, Baits and other requisites for the destruction of the rat. This is a fascinating read for any pest control enthusiast or naturalist historian, with much of the information remaining practical and useful today. Many of the earlier Natural History and Rural books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. READ COUNTRY BOOKS are republishing many of these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

From its origins in the swamps of Southeast Asia to its role in the medieval Black Death to its unshakeable niche in modern urban centers, the rat has incredible evolutionary advantages. Combining biology with history, and social commentary with firsthand experience, Rat dispels the myths and exposes the little-known facts about the ubiquitous rodent. Plague carrier, city vermin, and an out-and-out menace to modern man, the rat, like death and taxes, is a certain fixture in humankind's history. Rats are found in virtually every nook and cranny of the globe and their numbers are ever increasing. Rats are always adapting and they seem to outwit any attempts by humans to wipe them out. What makes the rat such a worthy adversary and how has it risen to the top of the animal kingdom? • Rats have been discovered living in meat lockers. The rats in there simply grew longer hair, fatter bodies, and nested in the carcasses they fed upon. • A female rat can, under good conditions, have well over 100,000 babies in her lifetime. • A rat can fall fifty feet onto pavement and skitter away unharmed. • A rat's jaws can exert a force more than twenty times as powerful as a human's. • The front side of a rat's incisors are as hard as some grades of steel. In Rat: How the World's Most Notorious Rodent Clawed Its Way to the Top, Jerry Langton explores the history, myth, physiology, habits, and psyche of the rat and even speculates on the future of the rat and how they might evolve over the next few hundred years.

RATS AND HOW TO DESTROY THEM By Mark Hovell. Originally published in 1924, this rare early work on rats and their control is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. READ COUNTRY BOOKS has republished it in an affordable, high quality, modern edition using the original text and artwork. The author was an expert and dedicated destroyer of rats who also invented the "Terrier" Death Run Rat Trap and the Blocking Trap. He was persuaded to write this fascinating book after fighting a memorable battle in ridding a friend's house and farm of a long established and numerous rat colony. Utilising his vast knowledge of the Brown and the Black Rat, and his many years of practical experience in their destruction, he penned this, the most comprehensive of all books ever published on this particular subject. Over five hundred pages contain forty eight detailed chapters including : - Habits and Natural History of the Rat. - Traps, Type and Use - Signals. - Trapping Methods. - Snaring. - Ferrets and Ferreting. - The Mongoose. - Dogs. - Trailing. - Poisoning. - Virus. - Blocking. - Flooding. - Fumigation. - Varnish and Rat Lime Trap. - The Rodier System. How to Deal with Rats in the House, Shop, Outbuildings, Yards, Stables, Cow -Houses, Fowl Pens, Pig Sties, Gardens, Greenhouses, Rivers and Ships. - Rats on Shooting Estates and Farms. - Sewers. - Notes on Plague. - Cancer in Rats. etc etc. There are also chapters on the control of mice, cockroaches and sparrows, with extra detailed chapters on traps and their design. Over fifty text illustrations are included, detailing trap design and usage etc. Also retained are several pages of vintage advertisements for rat traps, poisons, baits, books etc. This is a fascinating read for anyone interested in the countryside, rural conservation, pest control, game keeping etc, with much of the historical information remaining useful and practical today. Many of the earliest sporting books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. READ COUNTRY BOOKS are republishing many of these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Examines the characteristics, physiology, habits, behavior, evolution, history, myth, and psyche of one of the world's most successful animals, in a study that explores the reasons why the ever-adaptable rat has risen to the top of the animal kingdom.