100 



NORTH AMERICANi FAUNA 66 



Figure 36. — ^Distribution of Neotoma floridana magister. 



as Plummers Island, Montgomery County, and on the Virginia side of 

 the river at Chain Bridge. 



Wood rats were particularly abundant in the vicinity of Oldtown, 

 Allegany County, in the fall of 1961, where virtually every rocky out- 

 cropping contained signs of them. They had taken up residence under 

 the front porch of a hunting cabin 9 miles east of Oldtown, and the 

 sounds of their activity could be heard all night. They are inquisitive 

 animals, and one had thoroughly explored an automobile that was 

 parked nearby, even crawling into the engine compartment, leaving 

 tracks everywhere in the dust. 



The eastern wood rat appears to have moved into Maryland's Pied- 

 mont section only within recent years. Wetmore (1923, p. 187) reports 

 that although Plummers Island had been under observation by Wash- 

 ington naturalists since 1902, it wasn't until 1921 that the species was 

 discovered to be resident there. It was known, however, to inhabit the 

 cliffs along the Virginia side of the Potomac River as far south as 

 Chain Bridge for many years before it was first reported from Plum- 

 mers Island, and it seems probable that the Plummers Island popula- 

 tion crossed over from Virginia during a winter when the Potomac 

 was frozen over. Wetmore (1923) says that one was killed on Plum- 

 mers Island on 25 June 1921, by Mr. W. R. Maxon, but was not pre- 

 served. On 26 September and 15 October 1921, two specimens were 

 collected and preserved in the Biological Survey collection. In the 



