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We have alio in this country a little animal of 

 much the fame nature with the beaver, and which 

 on many accounts appears to be a diminutive of it, 

 called the Mujk-rat, This has a! molt all the pro- 

 perties of the beaver •, the flru&ure of the body, 

 and efpecially of the head, is fo very like, that we 

 mould be apt to take the mufk-rat for a fmall bea- 

 ver, were his tail only cut off, in which he differs 

 little from the common European rat ; and were it 

 not for his tefticles, which contain a moil exquifite 

 mufk. This animal, which weighs about four 

 pounds, is pretty like that which Ray fpeaks of 

 under the name of the Mus Alpinus. He takes 

 the field in March, at which time his food confifts 

 of bits of wood, which he peels before he eats them. 

 After the diiToiving of the fnows he lives upon the 

 roots of nettles, and afterwards on the ftalks and 

 leaves of that plant. In fummer he lives on draw- 

 berries and rafberries, which fucceed the other fruits 

 of the Autumn. During all this time you rarely 

 fee the male and female afunder. 



At the approach of winter they feparate, v/hen 

 each takes up his lodgings apart by himfelf in fome 

 hole, or in the hollow of a tree, without any pro- 

 vifion, and the Indians allure us, that they eat not 

 the leaft morfel of any thing whilft the cold conti- 

 nues. They like wife build cabins nearly in the 

 form of thofe of the beavers, but far from being 

 fo well executed. As to their place of abode, it is 

 always by the water- fide, fo that they have no need 

 to build caufeways. It is faid, that the fur of the 

 mufk-rat is ufed in the manufacture of hats, along 

 with that of the beaver, without any difadvantage. 

 Its flefh is tolerable good eating, except in time of 

 fut*' at which feafon it is impoffible to cure it of a 



