Rats Tails

[Harley]

Is there any truth in the story that you used to get money from the authorities for a rat's tail

[rekstout]

Rat catchers would often be paid per-tail as it was seen as proof that the rats had been killed

[WendyW]

As rekstout says rat catchers indeed were paid per rat killed. My Uncle used to tell me all about it ... having to produce the tails cut down on most scams ... although not all of them.

[FredPuli]

True. And more recently there was a similar scheme for the tails of grey squirrels, which are a pest of commercial forests.