THE MUSKRAT 47 



astonished even the wise muskrats in their snug 

 retreat. I approached their nest at this time, a 

 white mound upon the white, deeply frozen sur- 

 face of the pond, and wondered if there was any 

 life in that apparent sepulchre. I thrust my 

 walking-stick sharply into it, when there was a 

 rustle and a splash into the water, as the occu- 

 pant made his escape. What a damp basement 

 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. 



The muskrat does not hibernate like some ro- 

 dents, but is pretty active all winter. In Decem- 

 ber 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, I saw a 

 mink track amid those of the muskrat ; following 

 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 car- 

 cass of the luckless rat, with its head and neck 

 eaten away. The mink had made a meal of him. 



