ally adapted to living in water, are Aquatic. The stu- 

 dent of Mammalogy will soon observe that each kind 

 of mammal has its own idea of suitable quarters for 

 nesting and foraging, although the lack or abundance 

 of food, together with other factors, will, to an extent, 

 alter its habits of living. 



Some mammals, like the meadow mice and rab- 

 bits, prefer the open fields; others, like the porcupine 

 and wildcat, choose densely wooded sections; some 

 burrow^ in the ground, as do moles and woodchucks; 

 while certain kinds, such as the Squirrels, prefer, and 

 are structurally adapted to living in trees. It will be 

 observed that some mammals are more or less solitary 

 in their habits, while others, like the beaver and Hying 

 squirrels, often live in colonies. 



Raccoons hunt along the shores of ponds and 

 streams and feed upon animals that live in shallow 

 water. On the other hand, the otter and mink do not 

 hesitate to dive into the deeper waters for fish. The 

 beaver and muskrat construct their homes out in the 

 water and are forced to dive in order to secure entrance 

 to them. 



Observation w^ill show that the character of ihe 

 soil, and even the exposure of the land, will frequently 

 determine the animal associations with it. There are 

 some carnivorous animals that have very definite types 

 of situations in whicKthey build their homes, but they 

 are forced into all sorts of localities in the pursuit of 

 food. The fox, for instance, prefers a cave-like re- 

 treat for its home, but it wanders over hill and dale, 

 through woods and open fields, in its search for sus- 

 tenance. 



-H 29 >!*- 



