230 Fieitp Musrum or Natura History — Zoéxoey, Vor. XI. 
so gnawed and in the same situation. I did not see the animal in the 
act of feasting, which I believe is chiefly done at night, but I have no 
doubt that the fish and turtle were eaten by the Muskrat, as well as 
the mollusks associated with them in the same pile.’”’ (J. ¢., p. 286.) 
Dr. Merriam also says: ‘‘Mr. Charles F. Carr writes me that in 
Wolf River, Wisconsin, twelve or fifteen years ago, Muskrats were in 
the habit of eating fish from a gill net set there by a man named Rich.” 
(I. ¢., p. 287.) 
Robert Kennicott gives an interesting account of the habits of this 
animal. He says: ‘‘The muskrat is active in winter, seeking its food 
under the ice, and carrying it into its burrow or house to be eaten. 
Though roots are sometimes found in a nest in winter, they are only such 
as have been recently brought in, no considerable stores of food being 
collected. The food, in winter, appears to consist of roots of aquatic 
plants. In summer, it also feeds upon the leaves of various plants, as 
well as upon mussels, (Unios anodontia and U. plicatus, etc.), of which 
they consume great quantities in some of our rivers. Collecting them 
at the bottom, it carries them in its teeth to a log, or stone, where, 
sitting upon its haunches and grasping them in the fore-paws, it opens 
the shell with the incisors as skillfully as it could be done with an oyster- 
knife. In this way, large piles of shells are collected around stones and 
logs, by examining which the conchologist may often find rare species, 
brought from the mud by these animals which have been more suc- 
cessful collectors than himself. I have observed that those species 
with thin shells are most sought for, and have often found large speci- 
mens of Unio plicatus unopened among the piles of empty shells, the 
muskrat apparently considering them not worth the trouble of gnawing 
apart the valves at the back, in which manner the heavy shells are 
sometimes opened. 
“This species is pugnacious, and resists courageously when attacked. 
The males sometimes have fierce battles, and trappers state that the 
tail is occasionally mutilated, or cut entirely off in these combats. The 
voice is a sharp squeak, and some hunters will call the males within 
shooting distance by imitating it. From five to seven young — more 
or less — are produced in April or May. In this region, at least, the 
muskrats’ worst enemy is the mink, which, swimming and diving 
readily, not only enters their burrows and houses, but pursues them in 
the water. The mink does not find an easy prey, as the muskrats fight 
savagely; but, emboldened by hunger, he finally kills his victim, when 
he does not scruple to devour the whole body. Otters probably kill 
them, also, as they are occasionally found in muskrat houses.” (I. ¢., 
PP. 106-107.) 
