MUEIDiE 133 



nian side of the Colorado River, a few miles below Ehrenberg, 

 Arizona I found a colony inhabiting a "slough". I trapped for 

 them unsuccessfully, but succeeded in shooting three by moonlight 

 and one after sunrise as they were swimming among the tulles. 

 They were much smaller than the Muskrats that I used to trap in 

 the Mississippi Valley. Two weighed twenty ounces each. The 

 fur was thin and short, as might be expected in that warm cli- 

 mate. 



I have seen no "houses" and can learn of none in the west. 

 These mounds of dead vegetation are common in the sloughs and 

 ponds of the northeastern States. The food of Muskrats gener- 

 ally is the stems and roots of aquatic plants. Fresh-water mus- 

 sels and fish are also eaten. Occasionally vegetables are taken 

 from gardens near streams that they frequent. A burrow opened 

 by Schott near Yuma contained screw beans. 



