24 EVERMANN AND CLARK 



At times the Muskrats make various noises. September 5, 1906, 

 two half-grown young were observed chasing each other and sing- 

 ing a long, shivering note, followed by mewings and squeakings and 

 other noises or calls. The shivering, singing noise was heard on 

 other occasions. 



The Muskrat is the most valuable fur-bearing animal in the 

 Maxinkuckee region; indeed, it is the most valuable in the state. 

 Considerable numbers are trapped each year about the lake, the best 

 grounds being Norris Inlet and Lost Lake together with the Outlet. 

 We have been unable to obtain complete figures of the catch, but 

 have enough to show that it is important. In the winter of 1896- 

 1897 one trapper secured between 60 and 70 skins. One who trap- 

 ped only at Norris Inlet in the fall of 1900 had secured 30 pelts by 

 November 9, and another at Lost Lake had 50 by the same date. 

 Up to November first, 1903, two men trapping chiefly at Norris 

 Inlet had secured 103 pelts. They got 28 one night. Their entire 

 catch for the winter was 264 Muskrats, 4 Mink and 3 Opossums. 

 The Muskrat pelts brought them 10 to 15 cents each. The prices 

 now are much higher, ranging from 30 to 50 cents. Black pelts, 

 which constitute a small proportion of the catch, bring much 

 higher prices. 



It has long been suspected that the Muskrat is the intermediate 

 host of certain parasites which are concerned in the production of 

 pearls in the Unionidae or freshwater mussels. The Muskrat 

 stomachs and intestines examined by us at Lake Maxinkuckee did 

 not enable us to demonstrate the truth of this theory. One stom- 

 ach examined contained no parasites of any kind. Another exam- 

 ined at Washington, D. C., contained a few parasites but none that 

 could be identified with the distomid which induces pearl-forma- 

 tion. A species of parasite, Monostomum affine Leidy, closely 

 related to the distornids was described from the gall-bladder of the 

 Muskrat. It is the intention to examine a considerable number of 

 stomachs at the first opportunity with a view to determining the 

 facts in this matter. 



