Mäuse, Maden, Maulwürfe.

Abstract

In the 18th century different kinds of insects (such as maggots, bedbugs, louses and flies), reptiles (such as snakes and lizards), amphibians (such as frogs and toads) and mammals (such as mice, rats, moles and weasels) were called vermin . An animal is not a vermin per se, rather it becomes a vermin in the eyes of man: In the 18th century the term vermin is a collective description for animals with particular characteristics, it works as a category to distinguish and to characterise animals. Nevertheless vermin is not defined and characterised as a particular thing, rather there are different ways of describing it: Although most often animals that have negative characteristics or that are harmful are called vermin. However, vermin are also described as useful, but also as beautiful and as repugnant and it is said that these animals have functional and structural functions in oeconomia naturae. Thus vermin is not a class of animals in natural science but an object that is described depending on the frame of reference. There are three frames of reference, the economic, the aesthetic and the frame of order. Every framework has its own logic of observing and describing these animals. E. g. in the economic framework animals are observed concerning their material effects on human interests in using something. In this frame useful or harmful qualities are attributed to them. This means, vermin is regarded as useful or harmful to a special aim.