MUSK-RAT. 123 



bright and fair, on that very night there fell torrents of rain succeeded by 

 an unusual freshet, and intensely cold weather. 



This species has a strong musky smell ; to us this has never appeared 

 particularly offensive. It is infinitely less unpleasant than that of the 

 skunk, and we are less annoyed by it than by the smell of the mink, or 

 even the red fox. We have, however, observed in passing some of the 

 haunts of this Rat, at particular periods during summer, that the whole 

 locality was strongly pervaded by this odour. 



It is said, notwithstanding this peculiarity, that the Musk-Rat is not an 

 unpalatable article of food, the musky smell not being perceptible when 

 the animal has been properly prepared and cooked ; we have, indeed, heard 

 it stated that Musk-Rat suppers are not unfrequent among a certain class 

 of inhabitants on the Eastern shore of Maryland, and that some persons 

 prefer them, when well dressed, to a wild duck. Like the flesh of the bear 

 and some other quadrupeds, their meat somewhat resembles fresh pork, 

 and is too rich to be eaten with much relish for any length of time. 



By what we may almost look at as a merciful interposition of Providence, 

 the Musk-Rat is not found on the rice plantations of Carolina; it approach- 

 es within a few miles of them, and then ceases to be found. If it existed 

 in the banks and dykes of the rice fields, it would be a terrible annoyance 

 to the planter, and possibly destroy the reservoirs on which his crops 

 depend. Although it reaches much farther South, and even extends to 

 Louisiana, it is never found on the alluvial lands within seventy miles of 

 the sea either in Carolina or Georgia. 



The skins of the Musk-Rat are no longer in such high repute, as they 

 enjoyed thirty-five years ago, and they are now, only worth from six and 

 a quarter to twenty-five cents each. 



Dr. Richardson states, (in 1824,) that between four and five thousand 

 skins were annually imported into Great Britain from North America. 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 



The Musk-Rat is found as far North as the mouth of the Mackenzie 

 river, in latitude 69°, on the Rocky mountains, on the Columbia river, and 

 on the Missouri. With the exception of the alluvial lands in Carolina, 

 Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, it abounds in all parts of the United States 

 north of latitude 30°. It exists, although not abundantly, in the mountains 

 of Georgia, and the higher portions of Alabama. In South Carolina, we 

 have obtained it from Aikin, and St. Matthew's parish, on the Congaree 

 river, but have never found traces of it nearer the sea than seventy miles 

 from Charleston. 



