34 FLORIDA RAT. 



There are considerable differences in the habits of this species in va- 

 rious parts of the United States, and we hope the study of these peculiari- 

 ties may interest our readers. In Florida, they burrow under stones and 

 the ruins of dilapidated buildings. In Georgia and South Carolina they 

 prefer remaining in the woods. In some swampy situation, in the vicinity 

 of sluggish streams, amid tangled vines interspersed with leaves and long 

 moss, they gather a heap of dry sticks, which they pile up into a conical 

 shape, and which, with grasses, mud, and dead leaves, mixed in by the 

 ^vind and rain, form, as they proceed, a structure impervious to rain, and 

 inaccessible to the wild-cat, racoon, or fox. At other times, their nest, 

 composed of somewhat lighter materials, is placed in the fork (branch) 

 of a tree. 



About fifteen years ago, on a visit to the grave-yard of the Church at 

 Ebenezer, Georgia, we were struck with the appearance of several very 

 large nests near the tops of some tall evergreen oaks, {Quercus aquati- 

 cus ;) on disturbing the nests, we discovered them to be inhabited by a 

 nmnber of Florida rats, of all sizes, some of which descended rapidly to 

 the ground, whilst others escaped to the highest branches, where they 

 were concealed among the leaves. These nests, in certain situations are 

 of enormous size. We have observed some of them on trees, at a height 

 of from ten to twenty feet from the ground, where wild vines had made 

 a tangled mass over head, which appeared to be larger than a cart 

 wheel, and contained a mass of leaves and sticks, that would have more 

 than filled a barrel. 



Those specimens, however, which we procured on our journey up the 

 Missouri river, were all caught in the hollows of trees which were cut 

 down by the crew^, as we proceeded, for fuel for our steamer. Lewis and 

 Clarke, in their memorable journey across the Rocky Mountains, found 

 them nestling among clefts in the rocks, and also in hollow trees. In 

 this region they appeared to be in the habit of feeding on the prickly pear, 

 or Indian fig, {Cactus opuntia,) the travellers having found large quanti- 

 ties of seeds, and remnants of those plants, in their nests. In the Floridas, 

 Mr. Bartram also found this species. He says, " they are singular, -with 

 respect to their ingenuity and great labour in the construction of their 

 habitations, which are conical pyramids about three feet high, construct- 

 ed with dry branches, which they collect with great labour and persever- 

 ance, and pile up without any apparent order ; yet they are so interwoven 

 with one another, that it would take a bear or wild cat some time to pull 

 one of these castles to pieces, and allow the animals sufficient time to se- 

 cure a retreat with their young." 



This is a very active rat, and in ascending trees, exhibits much of the 



