190 Department of Conservation of Louisiana 



port when sitting erect and feeding; as a sort of scull or 

 oar when swimming, and as a rudder. Its use in sculling, 

 however, is only called into play when it desires to progress 

 through the water rapidly; therefore, as an adjunct to its 

 webbed feet, it has considerable value. The tail is used to 

 help the animal make short turns in the water. See note 

 page 282. 









— After E. A. Mearnsr. 



The upper drawing (a) ot the tail of a muskrat shows the appendage when viewed 

 from the side. The muskrat normally, carries its tall on edge and the lower drawing (b) 

 shows how the tail looks when looking down on It f-orn above. I he ta.l of the muskrat 

 has two functions, it is used as a sort of rudder, when in the water, and the animal can 

 bring it into play as a sort of oar or scull when it wishes to accelera:e its swimming. 



It is the pelage of this animal that constitutes its value; 

 its soft, velvety texture much resembles that of the beaver. 

 Muskrat fur, however, while shorter, has much more 

 beauty. The pelage consists of a thick, soft under-fur, 

 interspersed with long, stiff, glistening guard hairs, which 

 overlie and practically conceal the fur on the upper sur- 

 face and sides of the body. Th.2 general color is a dark 

 brownish-black, with reddish or golden tints on the sides, 

 and a whitish or silver belly fur, not as thickly interspersed 

 with guard hairs as the back and upper sides. 



The late Ned Hollister, formerly assistant curator of 

 mammals of the United States museum, and biologist of 

 the Biological Survey, in his Systematic Synopsis of the 

 Muskrats, 23 said that the Louisiana muskrat, "while like 

 the common muskrat of the eastern United States, averaged 

 slightly smaller, had duller colors, and underparts that 

 were darker." 



2S .Hollister, A Systt malic Synopsis of the Mtiskrclts, p. 31. 



