244 Department of Conservation of Louisiana 



ust. The average brood is five, making 25 per pair per sea- 

 son under natural conditions." To illustrate his point, he 

 devised a very illuminating chart of this twelve-month life 

 cycle, which is reproduced on these pages with permission, 

 which presents the matter as he views it in a very inter- 

 esting manner. 



In Manitoba this same authority claims the cattail is 

 the mainstay of the muskrat — the thick, starchy root fur- 

 nishing two-thirds of its food, and the long reeds and 

 leaves furnishing most of its building material, in addition 

 to the shelter furnished in the winter time, when the animal 

 feeds on the fleshy roots. When this is plentiful the musk- 

 rats remain near it, but "when the food gets scarce the 

 whole tribe migrates." 



Therefore, there is here the direct relationship between 

 food and reproduction, and a seeming proof of the claim 

 that when food and water conditions are suitable the musk- 

 rat is a prolific breeder. 



There is another problem connected with Louisiana 

 muskrats, their food and the soil of their habitat, that has 

 long been a puzzling factor, making it appear that there is 

 a third factor: type of soil. 



There are many marshland areas in Louisiana that have 

 water in abundance, the recognized muskrat foods, such as 

 the three-square, the cattails, the bulrush, the paille fine, 

 and such vegetation that the muskrat thrives on — but no 

 muskrats. 



Or it may prove that there are but a few muskrats in 

 such an otherwise favored section. 



There are other marshland areas in Louisiana, the Dela- 

 croix Island territory, for instance. Here is the three-cor- 

 nered grasses, the cattails, the bulrush and the other herb- 

 age and millions of muskrats. 



What makes these amazing differences in muskrat pop- 

 ulation? The marshes look the same. We find the same 

 birds in them, ducks and geese in winter, herons, rails, 

 savannah sparrows and all the other marsh-loving birds 

 the year round. 



