The Rat-pit

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The above two photographs that have been kindly supplied by Mark Shirley, however, hopes that the Ship might re-open have not come to pass. Another one bites the dust. Boarded up Ship, photo by Mark Hall Ratting and rat-baiting are not the same activities. Ratting is the legal use of dogs for pest control of non-captured rats in an unconfined space, such as a barn or field. [26] Due to rat infestations, terriers are now being used for ratting to hunt and kill rats in major cities around the world, including the United Kingdom, [27] the United States [28] [29] [30] [31] and Vietnam. [32] The use of ratting dogs is considered to be the most environmentally friendly, humane and efficient methods of exterminating rodents. [33] [34] In popular culture [ edit ]

Matthews, I. (1898). Full Revelations of a Professional Rat-Catcher. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 978-1-104-13023-7This formidable invader is now universally diffused through the whole country, from whence every method has been tried in vain to exterminate it. This species is about nine inches long, of a light-brown colour, mixed with tawny and ash; the throat and belly are of a dirty white, inclining to grey; its feet are naked, and of a pale flesh-colour; the tail is as long as the body, covered with minute dusky scales, thinly interspersed with short hairs. 12 Mayhew's description of the brown rat dovetailed with that of naturalists like Charles Waterton, who noted their ‘baneful presence’, ‘forbidding habits’ and called for their timely repatriation. 13 In reproducing the language of national identity, Mayhew characterized the brown rat as a foreign species, notable for its particularly ‘rapacious’ appetite: calculating and scheming to destroy habitats and human food stores, while cleverly hiding its booty. The landlord, a tough man who would nip the rats’ spines with his teeth to ensure they were dead at the end of each bout, acted as referee.

The ?sport? was also popular in 19th century America, notably in New York. The last rat pit, known as Sportsmen?s Hall, was owned by Christopher ?Kit? Burns. A member of the Dead Rabbit Gang, which was portrayed in Martin Scorsese?s film Gangs of New York, Burns organised both rat and dog fights. Sullivan, R. (2004). Rats: A Year with New York's Most Unwanted Inhabitants. Granta Books, London. ISBN 978-0756966409 Living in close proximity to human civilization, rodent effrontery knew no bounds. As Waterton recalled: ‘rats will occasionally attempt to feed on individuals of the human species when they sleep’. 14 Other rat characteristics evoked by Mayhew included cruelty and deviousness: ‘It is a bold and fierce little animal, and when closely pursued, will turn and fasten on its assailant’. The bite embodied the rodent's perceived conniving and vicious nature: ‘Its bite is keen’, Mayhew continued, ‘and the wound it inflicts is painful and difficult to heal, owing to the form of its teeth, which are long, sharp, and of an irregular shape’. 15a b c "Kit Burns' Rat Pit". Infamous New York. WordPress. 22 October 2013 . Retrieved 16 July 2019.