20 EVERMANN AND CLARK 



shallow ponds wherever there is suitable building material con- 

 veniently at hand. Every Scirpus patch is likely to contain one 

 or more of these houses. On the west side of the lake we usually 

 found one in a small pond by the side of the railroad just north of 

 the Assembly grounds, two or three in the edge of the lake between 

 there and Culver, one near the Winfield cottage, one or more in 

 Outlet Bay, two or three between Long Point and Murray's, six 

 or more from Murray's to Norris Inlet, a score or more about Norris 

 Inlet, several along Aubeenaubee Creek and perhaps a dozen in 

 the northeast corner of the lake and along Culver Creek. A great 

 many are seen each year about Lost Lake and along the Outlet 

 throughout its entire length, even to Tippecanoe River. Each of 

 the marshes and ponds west of the lake has its share of nests and 

 each old kettle hole that is not too dry will have one or more. 



While these are the usual places where the muskrats build their 

 houses, now and then a house is found in some quite unusual and 

 unexpected place. Among these are the cross-timbers under the 

 piers at the cottages about the lake. December 24, 1900, a com- 

 pleted nest was found resting cosily on cross-timbers under the 

 pier at the Lakeview Hotel. Though not large this nest was com- 

 pactly built. It was composed almost wholly of Chara and was a 

 foot or more above the surface of the water. November 2, 1904, 

 another nest was found in a similar situaton on cross-timbers at the 

 distal end of the Culver depot pier. This nest was quite large and 

 composed chiefly of Chara. When disturbed the owners of these 

 nests would drop quietly into the water and swim away. 



Toward the last of October, 1904, a nest was found on the seat 

 of an abandoned boat near Murray's. This nest was newly built 

 and consisted chiefly of Chara and Scirpus stems. Later, when 

 the lake froze over it was deserted. Still another nest was found 

 on the top of a tree that had fallen into the lake, and yet another 

 on the boughs of a broken tree that extended into the water. 



The most interesting and unique situation selected by a muskrat 

 for its house ever seen by us was a large dry-goods box which a 

 duck-hunter had anchored in Outlet Bay for use as a blind from 

 which to shoot ducks. The box was anchored some distance from 

 shore with the open side toward the shore. Bushes with leaves 

 still on were stuck in the lake about the box to aid in concealing 



