426 



RECREATION 



"Here, for instance, is your pine nez, 

 a paper of cigarettes, and a pair of un- 

 washed socks smothered in cold grease 

 in the frying pan and, Great Scott ! a 

 lot of sticky pine cones. Heaven only 

 knows where they came from, there are 

 none about here ; a box of double- 

 pointed tacks, and a paper of pins mixed 

 in the salt and the whole outfit dumped 

 into the coffee pot — — " 



"Hold on!" cried the Doctor, still 

 laughing, "come out here and I will 

 show you one of the mischief makers." 



You may be sure that I did not linger. 



"Where is he?" I asked in an eager 

 whisper. 



things around — will bring acorns a mile 

 or more, dump them down in your 

 camp, and carry off a pair of suspenders 

 or some article equally useful to rats; 

 that's the reason that he is called a 

 trade rat. He has a cousin down in 

 Florida, the name of whose species is 

 Floridana. I have often seen the Flori- 

 da branch of the family, but never met 

 the Cineria before." 



"I certainly never want to meet him 

 again," I said. Whether the animals 

 took offense at my remark or had busi- 

 ness elsewhere, I cannot pretend to say, 

 but Mr. Trade rat disappeared together 

 with his comrades, so completely that 



MUSKRAT 



{Fiber zibethecus) 



"There," replied Doc Lawrence, 

 pointing to a big rat calmly surveying 

 us from a niche in the rock, about twen- 

 ty feet distant. 



"Rats !" I exclaimed, contemptuously. 



"Yes, my son, rats/' replied my com- 

 panion, "trade rats, pack rats, wood 

 rats — genus Neotoma, species cineria. 

 See what a bushy tail the rascal sports. 

 Most remarkable beast — piles up bush- 

 els of brush wood and keeps house in 

 it, while white-footed mice live in the 

 sides and the top. As you see, he has 

 an extraordinary habit of changing 



Doctor Lawrence had some trouble to 

 get me a specimen to photograph. A 

 week afterwards, however, the Doctor 

 shot several and ate them, I myself de- 

 clined to touch or to taste. The doctor 

 declared that they beat rabbit or squir- 

 rel, or the muskrat which, with terrapin, 

 is considered such a dainty by Mary- 

 landers. 



"Some day," he averred, "when ap- 

 petite conquers prejudice one of Ameri- 

 ca's choicest dishes will consist of 

 woodrats on toast." 



{To be continued.) 



