COLE ON HABITS OF A MUSKRAT. 201 



was rubbed in the fur of the flank. These motions were made rapidly and in quick 

 succession, and although they varied somewhat were usually gone through with 

 about as described. 



In eating the food was grasped between the fore paws, but unless a very small 

 piece, was rested on the floor of the cage. Carrots were usually stood upon end, 

 top down and small end up. Rather large pieces were bitten off at a time and 

 masticated before another bite was taken. The upper and lower incisors did not 

 function equally in biting off these chunks, the upper teeth being rested against 

 the carrot while the lower teeth bit in and pried off the piece. 



Many different things were tried as foods, and the following Is a more or less 

 complete list of the things eaten: 



Carrots. The principal food. 



Cabbage. 



Parsnips. Not eaten if carrots were to be had. 



Potatoes. Evidently not liked very well. 



Turnips. Evidently not liked very well. 



Corn. Liked very well. 



Bread, cake, etc. Eaten readily. Frosting on the cake was not chewed but 

 licked with the tongue. 



Nuts. Very fond of all kinds if cracked. Peanuts were eaten If shelled, but he 

 did not shell them himself. 



In the spring he was tried on the following things, all of which he appeared to 

 relish : 



Young leaves of lilac. 



Bark and leaves of maple. Gnawed the bark from the branches. 



Flowers and leaves of wild crab-apples. 



Horse-chestnut leaves — nearly full grown. 



Young leaves of oak. 



Strawberries. 



Young stems of flag were once brought him as a special favor, as these probably 

 make up a large part of the muskrat's food when he is wild, but to our surprise 

 they were neglected entirely in favor of carrots, and were eaten only when the 

 carrots were gone. 



This muskrat appeared to be strictly herbivorous; at no time was animal food 

 touched. If offered a small piece of beef he came forward and smelled of it and 

 then quickly retreated as if afraid. To dead fish placed in the cage he behaved 

 the same. Thinking that possibly he would take the fish if alive several small 

 minnows 4 cm. or 5 cm. long were placed in his tank and left over night, but in 

 the morning they were all alive and well. Next, two sunfish about 16 cm. long, 

 were put into the tank and left nearly two days; at the end of that time they were 

 found dead in the bottom of the tank, but they showed no wounds of any kind 

 to indicate that they had been killed by the muskrat. A fresh-water mussel was then 

 tried; this was left in the tank for nearly two weeks without its being eaten. 



There appears to be a difference of opinion as to whether the muskrat when wild 

 ever eats animal food. It would seem to be an undoubted fact that they often cut 

 nets to pieces in which there are fish, but we do not know that an actual observa- 

 tion of their eating the fish has been made. A trapper who has made a business 

 of catching muskrats for over thirty years tells us that he does not know of their 

 eating fish, but that they do eat mussels in large numbers. When asked if he had 

 ever seen them eating the mussels he replied that he had not, but said he had seen 

 piles of the shells on and about muskrat houses, together with the tracks of the 

 muskrats, and they could not have been eaten by anything else. 



Our muskrat seemed to have a well-developed instinct for storing a surplus of 

 food. Whatever was left over was almost invariably put in a certain corner of the 

 middle compartment of the cage and left there until it was wanted. 



The excrements were always yellow-colored, probably on account of the large 

 amount of carrots eaten. They were almost invariably found in the water; even 

 before the large swimming tank was furnished below and when the only water 

 was in an ordinary round bacteria dish they were found In, or plastered on, the 

 sides of this dish. 



The muskrat was never observed to drink, though when swimming about In the 

 tank he often got water into the mouth and may have swallowed some of it, and 

 upon one or two occasions he was seen to put his nose to the water in a small dish 

 and may have taken a drink then, but the time it was kept there was not sufficient 

 for getting much. 



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