1885.] Observations on the Muskrat. 1045 
cution of a neighborhood of farmers, muskrats are few in num- 
bers and are very shy. Inthe greater number of places, however, 
but little attention is paid to their destruction, and in consequence 
they become very tame, being found within the corporate limits 
of some of our larger towns. Originally they had their home in 
the neighborhood of natural water-courses, but with the system 
of State improvements which led to the building of our canals, 
there came, in many localities, a change in the life of the musk- 
rats. Upon the completion of “ The White Water Valley Canal,” 
in 1846, the greater number of muskrats living upon the streams 
along which it ran, sought this artificial water-way and there 
established homes, No doubt they soon realized the greater 
security this canal afforded them from the frequent floods and 
from other dangers they had formerly experienced. At the pres- 
ent time, along that portion of the canal in existence, but few 
muskrats have sought the neighboring streams whence their 
ancestors came. When the muskrats changed their residence to 
the line of the canal they made new homes in its loamy banks, 
similar to the ones they had deserted along the river side. They 
are found both in our water-power canal and in the swifer 
streams, most numerous where there is a good food supply and 
at the same time near by a quiet nook secluded from the prying 
eyes of some human enemy and his allies. I have noticed them 
to be exceedingly abundant about the estuaries of creeks whose 
banks are covered with a luxuriant growth of vegetation. 
When the canal through this part of the State was destroyed 
in 1866, the rats disappeared from many places where they had 
long found a home. Some sought the river where their ances- 
tors had dug their holes in times long past; others gathered into 
certain parts of the old canal bed which were not permitted to 
remain unused. One of these portions is now the property of 
“The Brookville and Metamora Hydraulic Company,” and is 
used for the purpose of supplying power to several mills along 
its banks. This part of the old canal is about fifteen miles long, 
extending from Laurel to Brookville. It is here that I have 
become best acquainted with this water-loving rodent. 
The muskrat prefers its home in banks of loam or light clay, 
especially when heavily covered by vegetation. It is very excep- 
tional that it occupies gravelly or sandy banks. Advantage has 
been taken of this fact by the managers of our water-way and 
