ABSTRACT
If a very large rat, with a paunch of aldermanic proportions, takes up its residence in a house, it is treated as an honoured guest, for this is the Money Rat ( ~~T) whose arrival indicates the advent of affiuence, more than compensating for his board and lodging. The rat is not the only money-spinner in the Peking home, and other creatures are cherished for their affinity to wealth. A red spider must on no account be destroyed and one form of centipede is highly esteemed as a lodger. It is not the variety found in the South, which figures among the five poisonous creatures, but is higher on the leg, and is a useful member of the household in keeping down the flies. Its construction adapts it admirably for dealing with these pests for, as it catches its prey, it passes it down its legs like a conveyor belt to the larder near the tail, accumu· lating a stock without interfering with the chase. The legs are put into reverse when the money-centipede feels inclined for a meal. A snake which enters a house is never killed for the serpent is a guardian of treasure. Finally, a kitten of a peculiar golden shade is welcomed in a litter as it is a "Money cat" who will improve the financial status of the family.
