THE HERMIT WOOD RAT 53 



that night of the wind-storm. I shuffled my feet 

 again, and again the neotoma raised the soles 

 of his long-pawed feet and brought them down 

 on the floor with a determined rap. 



Oh, what was now my delight! For two 

 whole years I had been guessing, observing, 

 inquiring, and writing letters to scientific in- 

 stitutions and naturalists trying to find out 

 how wood rats did their pounding, and no 

 one seemed to be able to tell me. Now I knew 

 through my own observations. It was the de- 

 light accompanying discovery. My new guest 

 had solved the riddle. 



This stamping or pounding seems to be an 

 expression of strong emotional states of mind 

 indulged in when angry, impatient, or defiant. 

 Rabbits pound in similar manner under like 

 emotional states. The wood rats and the rab- 

 bits strike with the soles of both feet at the 

 same time. Skunks and squirrels, however, who 

 also pound, strike with their forepaws singly. 



