216 BULLETIN NO. VII. 
might otherwise wage a war of extermination. There seems 
to be a certain reciprocity between the occupants of adjacent 
lodges, although the rats are jealous by nature and have not 
the communistic characters of the beaver, though no whit in- 
ferior to them as architects. 
As to the statement commonly believed by woodcraftsmen in 
the west that the muskrat prearranges his hut in view of the 
length and severity of the coming winter we can offer nothing 
definitely. There is, however, a wide variation in respect to 
the size and structure of the huts and a general correspon- 
dence, though by no means a universal one, between the huts 
built during a given season. Anaverage hut is 6x10 feet in 
diameter at the water’s edge and the size of the chamber varies 
from eighteen inches to two feet. 
It is interesting to note in this connection the curious state- 
ment of Carver as to the winter habits of this animal (p. 425 
Carvers Travels. ) 
‘The muskrat is so termed for the exquisite musk which it 
affords. It appears to be a diminutive of the beaver, being 
endowed with all the properties of that sagacious animal, and 
wants nothing but size and strength, being not much bigger 
than a large rat of the Norway breed, to rival the creature it 
so much resembles. 
‘‘Like the beaver it builds itself a cabin, but of less perfect 
construction, and takes up its abode near the side of some 
piece of water. In the spring they leave their retreats, and in 
pairs subsist on leaves and roots till the summer comes on, 
when they feed on strawberries, raspberries and such other 
fruits as they can reach. At the approach of winter they sep- 
arate, when each takes up its lodging apart by itself in some 
hollow of a tree, where they remain quite unprovided with 
food, and there is the greatest reason to believe, subsist with- 
out any till the return of spring.” 
The feats performed by muskrats in opening and devouring 
mussels may be, as claimed by some observers mythical but 
there seems to be no doubt that they avail themselves of ani- 
mal food upon occasion. 
‘Just before night we saw a musquash, the only one we saw 
in this voyage. The Indian, wishing to get one to eat, hushed 
us, saying, ‘stop, me call ’em’; and sitting flat on the bank. he 
began to make a curious squeaking, wiry sound with his lips, 
exerting himself considerably. * * * It wasevident that he 
was in the habit of calling the musquash to him, as he said. 
