The rat has been accused of many crimes. It is said to have caused serious fires and to have spread disease; and that it is not loved by the majority of people it is hardly necessary to mention. Yet there still are some who are fond of it, and many children provide it with a place among their pets.

Like other animals, the rat has a temper, and any disobedience should be at once sternly repressed. Firmness is always desirable, and if trained when young to behave properly, it will soon become accustomed to being handled and to know its friends. The tail is the best means by which to catch hold of a rat, as it is then quite helpless.

The food question is not a very serious one, and such things as the inevitable bread-and-milk, potatoes, fruit, various kinds of greenstuff, oats, lean scraps of meat from the table, etc., are all satisfactory. Anything, however, containing fat should be most carefully avoided, as it will prove injurious to the health of the animals.

The more accommodation that can be allowed, the better it will be for the rats' general welfare. Cramped quarters are most uncesirable, and will soon result in disease and unpleasant smells. The ears very often become sore if the animals are badly housed 01 neglected, and in such a case, unless the rat is of any value, it is advisable to destroy it. Whenever disease appears, however slight it may be, the patient should at once be isolated from his companions.

Regular meals, suitable food, plenty of space for exercise, and a frequent cleansing and disinfecting of the cage will do much to prevent many minor ailments.

Rats like to run and climb about a great deal, and a small gymnasium fitted up inside the cage will add considerably to the happiness of the little animals, besides helping to keep them in good condition.

Sanitary sawdust, which is not at all difficult to obtain, should be well sprinkled over the floor of the cage and also in the sleeping places, which should be filled with shavings, hay, or anything of a similar nature. This will need frequent renewal.

Care needs to be taken to prevent rats from gnawing their way through the corners of the cage; otherwise some morning several much-prized rats may be missing, and only the satisfied and contented look on the dog's face will provide a clue as to where they have gone.

The chief varieties kept as pets are the Black, the Piebald - or Japanese - rat, and the Albino, or White rat. Specimens can generally be obt lined from a shilling upwards, although the rarer varieties, or those with special markings, will cost more.

The essential characteristic of the early morning tray should be its dainty freshness. A pretty blue-and-white tea-service is shown in the first illustration. . For those who prefer coffee, a charming tray can be arranged as in our central illustration. The covered cup in the third illustration provides a really hot cup of tea, while the cup shown in the last picture has the practical arrangement of a saucer that will also accommodate the toast or dainty-slice of bread-and-butter, usually served with morning tea. Fruit by some is preferred to either tea or coffee