THE MOLE-RAT. 89 



for the musquashes take to the water when alarmed by a 

 sound on the ice. An experienced hunter is so well ac- 

 quainted with the direction of tiie chamber and the po&. 

 tion in which its inmates lie, that he can transfix four or 

 five at a time. As soon as, from the motion of the spear, 

 it is evident that the animal is struck, the house is broken 

 down, and it is taken out. The princijjal seasons for 

 taking the musquash are the autumn, before the snow 

 falls, and the spring, after it has disappeared but while 

 the ice is still entire. In the winter time the depth of 

 snow prevents the houses and breathing-holes from being 

 seen. One of the first operations of the hunter is to 

 stop all the holes with the exception of one, at which he 

 stations himself to spear the animals that have escaped 

 being struck in their houses and come hither to breathe. 

 In the summer the musquash burrows in the banks of 

 the lakes, making branched canals many yards in extent, 

 and forming its nest in a chamber at the extremity, in 

 which the young are brought forth. When its house is 

 attacked in the autumn, it retreats to these passages, but 

 in the spring they are frozen up. The musquash may 

 be frequently seen on the shores of small muddy islands, 

 sitting in a rounded form, and not easily to be distin- 

 guished from a piece of earth, until, on the approach of 

 danger, it suddenly plunges into the water. In the act 

 of diving, when surprised, it gives a smart blow to the 

 water with its tail. Its flesh is eaten by the natives, 

 though it has a strong musky flavour. The fur is used 

 for hat-making, and between four and five hundred thou- 

 sand skins are annually imported into Great Britain. 

 'I'he musquash breeds three times in the year, producing 

 from three to seven at a birth. 



The Mole-Rat 



(^Aspalomys Typhlus, Laxmaim ; Spalax ti/phlus, Guldenst. ; 

 Aspalax t>/phlus, Desm, ; Zemni, Rzaczinski ; Slepez, 

 Gmeiiu ; Podolian Marmot, Pennant). 



This strange animal (which forms the type of a dis- 

 tinct family) is expressly organized as a miner. Tlie 



