192 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Photograph by George Shiras, 3d 



A CONVENTIONAL HOME OF THE MUSKRAT 



A tvpe of house built by all muskrats in shallow, marshy waters throughout the country. 

 This presents a view of the slough much frequented by deer (see page 127). 



and red cabbage, the last mentioned, by 

 reason of its sweetness, preferred above 

 all else. 



None ever touched the leaves or prod- 

 ucts of the potato plant, tomatoes, squash, 

 rhubarb, corn, cucumbers, asparagus, 

 onions, or parsnips, and the escape of the 

 latter was inexplicable. Some seasons 

 their attention was almost entirely de- 

 voted to the strawberry plants, and then 

 the next year not a leaf or a tender run- 

 ner would be touched. 



FLASHLIGHT TEMPORARILY DETERS 

 ANTLERED MARAUDERS 



In the endeavor to save the cabbages, 

 they were always planted within a few 

 feet of the caretaker's bedroom ; but often 

 in the morning a great gaping hole in the 

 center of a head showed what was con- 

 sidered the choicest morsel and willing- 

 ness to take a chance. 



Partly to save the crops and, in my 

 own case, more to record the presence of 

 the most cunning of our antlered animals, 

 the flashlight and cameras were put in 

 different parts of the garden, with a cabin 

 or some camp shelter as a background 

 when possible. More than fifty such pic- 

 tures have been taken, a few of which 

 accompany this article (see pp. 170-173). 

 The heavy report and dazzling glare ter- 

 rified each marauder for a week or two. 



and then, led by hungry and less timid 

 fawns, they returned again to the feast, 

 where on moonlight nights their shadowy 

 forms might be seen moving noiselessly 

 from place to place. 



MUSKRATS MAKE A PORAY ON PARSNIPS 



As another means of saving a portion 

 of the crops intended for winter use, each 

 on reaching maturity was placed in the 

 root-house, except on one occasion the 

 parsnips, which, never having been mo- 

 lested, were left in the ground, well cov- 

 ered with four or five feet of snow. It 

 was the intention to dig them out early 

 in the spring, when they would be in a 

 better and sweeter condition than if 

 placed in the root-house. 



In the spring, as the deep snow began 

 melting, a hole was dug down to the soil 

 for a first meal on the parsnips, when a 

 tunnel, with branches leading 200 feet to 

 the water, made by muskrats, was found 

 and not a vegetable remained ! This 

 showed very plainly the habits of these 

 animals in venturing far from the water- 

 courses and beneath the deep snows in 

 search of green food untouched by frosts 

 or zero weather. 



SUMMER RESIDENT BIRDS ABOUT CAMP 



In addition to the birds already men- 

 tioned within the camp inclosure and the 



