THE WEATHER-WISE MUSKRAT. 87 



I approached their nest at this time, a white mound 

 upon the white, deepl}^ frozen surface of the pond, and 

 wondered if there was any life in that apparent sep- 

 ulchre. I thrust my walking-stick sharply into it, 

 when there was a rustle and a splash into the water, 

 as the occupant made his escape. What a dsrap base- 

 ment that house has, I thought, and what a pity to 

 rout a peaceful neighbor out of his bed in this weather, 

 and into such a state of things as this ! But water does 

 not wet the muskrat ; his fur is charmed, and not a 

 drop penetrates it. Where the ground is favorable, 

 the muskrats do not build these mound-like nests, but 

 burrow into the bank a long distance, and establish 

 their winter-quarters there. 



Shall we not say, then, in view of the above facts, 

 that this little creature is weather-wise ? The hitting 

 of the mark twice might be mere good luck ; but three 

 bull's-eyes in succession is not a mere coincidence ; it 

 is a proof of skill. The muskrat is not found in the 

 Old World, which is a little singular, as other rats so 

 abound there, and as those slow-going English streams 

 especially, with their grassy banks, are so well suited 

 to him. The water-rat of Europe is smaller, but of 

 similar nature and habits. The muskrat does not 

 hibernate like some rodents, but is pretty active all 

 winter. In December I noticed in my walk where 

 they had made excursions of a few yards to an orchard 

 for frozen apples. One day, along a little stream, 1 

 saw a mink track amid those of the muskrat ; follow- 

 ing it up, I presently came to blood and other marks 

 of strife upon the snow beside a stone wall. Looking 

 in between the stones, I found the carcass of the luck- 

 less rat, with its head and neck eaten away. The 

 mink had made a meal of him. 



