A few years ago, a gentleman living at Loutb Hall,
and taking a walk one morning round the establishment,
in company with the coachman, the latter all at once
drew his attention to the hen-roost, where a rat was strug-
gling with an egg ; and so intent was the animal on its
undertaking, that it was perfectly unconscious of their pre-
sence. They watched its manoeuvres for about ten minutes,
and its principal difficulty seemed to be in balancing the
^SS > ^^^ i* ^^'^i ^y stretching out one of its fore legs under-
neath the egg, and steadying it above with its cheek. When
thus secured, it hopped very steadily and cautiously upon
three legs; thus looking in its action more like a young rabbit
than a rat. When he was near his hole, they gave him
chace, and it was not till they were close upon him that he
dropped his burden, to secure himself by running. The
gentleman picked up the egg, and had it for his breakfast,
and a very fine one he says it was. This, I think, clears up
the mystery as to how rats carry eggs.
The following anecdote is upon the testimony of a very
respectable and intelligent person, who insists most empha-
tically on the truth of her statement, because she herself {
was a^ eye-witness of the feet.
It appears that our informant, prior to her marriage, was a
domestic in the establishment of a pastrycook, in London.
