288 MAMMALIA. 



I took hold of its tail during this little scene, and ended the matter 

 by giving its head a severe bump on the ground. When I had ac- 

 cess to more light I found that it was a full-grown Muskrat of enor- 

 mous size. I can neither account for its attack nor appearance there. 

 The previous summer season had dried up all the sloughs and there 

 was no water in the vicinity. The houses of these animals had been 

 deserted for some time previous, and nowhere on the prairies had I 

 been able to find one with any inhabitants (they build in the sloughs 

 of western prairies extensively). Alone and well away from its most 

 natural element it had attacked me without provocation. The mat- 

 ter led to an inquiry among the farmers. The general statement 

 was to the effect that considerable fun and some trouble was had with 

 this species during each hay time, as they did not hesitate, when out 

 of the water, to ferociously attack man or beast, with seldom any 

 damage. One man related, however, that he received a severe bite 

 in the hand from one of them, which laid him up for some time. It 

 is either very courageous or very luny." :i: 



The most remarkable foray of this kind which has come to my 

 knowledge occurred in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, during 

 the evening of March iyth, 1884. It is thus recorded in the Char- 

 lotte Observer of March iSth : " Charlie Fox's adventure with a pack 

 of Muskrats on Trade street one night about a year ago, was brought 

 vividly to mind last night when several runners came into the Ob- 

 server office bringing tidings of three sanguinary battles fought be- 

 tween citizens who had encountered bodies of the savage Musquash 

 in the streets. It appears that all these fights occurred at 8 o'clock. 

 Mr. John Davidson was going home about that hour when he was 

 encountered at the corner of Tyron and Fifth streets, by a large and 

 ferocious rat, which he finally killed with a stick. He sent his fallen 

 foe to the Observer office for inspection. It was almost as large as a 

 'possum. When this fight was going on there was a lively scene on 

 Trade street, opposite the mint, where the Muskrats fairly swarmed. 



* The American Naturalist, July. 1880, Vol. XIV, No. 7, p. 524. 



