260 THE DRAMA OF THE FORESTS 



kinds of sub-aqueous plants. In winter time, when their 

 pond is frozen over, and when they have to travel far under 

 water to find their food, they sometimes make a point of keep- 

 ing several water-holes open, so that after securing their food, 

 they may rise at a convenient hole and eat their meal without 

 having to make long trips to their house for the purpose. In 

 order to keep the water-hole from freezing, they build a little 

 house of reeds and mud over it. Sometimes, too, they store 

 food in their lodges, especially the bulbous roots of certain 

 plants. 



Muskrats, like beavers, use their tails for signaUing danger, 

 and when alarm causes them to dive they make a great noise, 

 out of all proportion to their size. Thus the greenhorn from 

 the city is apt to take the muskrat's nightly plunges for the 

 sound of deer leaping into water; and just in the same way does 

 the sleepless tenderfoot mistake the thudding footfalls of the 

 midnight rabbit for those of moose or caribou running roimd 

 his tent. 



Muskrats are fairly sociable and help one another in their 

 work. They mate in April and their young are born about a 

 month later. The Indians claim that they pair like the beaver, 

 and that the father helps to take care of the children. The 

 young number from three to eight. When they are full grown 

 their coats are dark brown. In length muskrats measure 

 about eighteen inches, while in weight they run from a pound 

 and a half to two pounds. 



Except in autumn, their range is exceedingly small, though 

 at that season they wander much farther away from their 

 homes. If danger threatens they are always ready to fight, and 

 they prove to be desperate fighters, too. While slow on land, 

 they are swift in water; and such excellent divers are they 

 that in that way they sometimes escape their greatest enemy — 

 the mink; though wolves, fishers, foxes, otters, as well as birds of 

 prey and Indians are always glad to have a muskrat for dinner. 



