COTTON-RAT. 231 



of the earth for a considerable distance, like those formed by the common 

 shrew-mole. 



Each burrow or hole contains apparently only one family, a pair of old 

 ones with their young ; but their various galleries often intersect each 

 other, and many nests may be found within the compass of a few yards ; 

 they are composed of withered grasses, are not very large, and may 

 usually be found within a foot of the surface. In summer the nests are 

 often seen in a cavity of the earth, on the surface in some meadow, or 

 among rank weeds. 



This is a very prolific species, producing young early in spring, and 

 through all the summer months, till late in autumn. We have on several 

 occasions knovm their young born and reared in cages. They produce 

 from four to eight at a litter. The young are of a bright chesnut-brown 

 colour, and at the age of five or six days begin to leave the nest, are very 

 active and sprightly, and attain their full growth in about five months. 



This species has no other note than a low squeak, a little hoarser than 

 that of the common mouse ; when captured it is far more savage than 

 the Florida rat. On one occasion, while seizing one of them, we were 

 bitten completely through a finger covered by a buckskin glove. 



The Cotton-Rat is fond of burrowing in the old banks of abandoned rice- 

 fields. In such situations we have, during freshets, observed that it could 

 both swim and dive like the water-rat of Europe, and Wilson's meadow- 

 mouse of the Middle States. 



This species supplies a considerable number of animals and birds 

 with food. Foxes and wild-cats especially, destroy thousands ; we have 

 observed minks coursing along the marshes in pursuit of them, and have 

 frequently seen them with one of these Rats in their mouth. Marsh- 

 hawks, and several other species, may be constantly seen in the autimin 

 and winter months sailing over the marsh, looking out for the Cotton- 

 Rat. No animal in the Southern States becomes more regularly the 

 food of several species of owls than this. The barred owl {Syrnium 

 nebulosum) is seen as early as the setting of the sun, flitting along the 

 edges of old fields, seeking to make its usual evening meal on it or carry 

 it oflf as food for its young. We were invited some years since to ex- 

 amine the nest of the American barn-owl (Strix Americana) in the loft of 

 a sugar refinery in Charleston. There were several young of different 

 sizes, and we ascertained that the only food on which they were fed was 

 this Rat, to obtain which the old birds must have gone several miles. 



The Cotton-Rat has obtained its name from its supposed habit of mak- 

 ing its nest with cotton, which it is said to collect for the purpose in large 

 quantities. We have occasionally, although very seldom, seen cotton in 



