fiMilimt § Swim Uii€l€T tMe lee. 

 Mo-skrats Iiaye a curious metliod of trav- 

 eliiig loBg distances under tlie ice. In their 

 Winter excursions to their feeding grounds, 

 are 



abodes, tliev take in breath' 

 and remain under the water as long as they 

 can. They then rise up t5 fiie ice, and 

 breathe out the air in their lungs, which re- 

 mains in bubbles against the lower surface 

 of the ice. Tliey wait till this air recoyers 

 oxygen from tlie water and ice and then, 

 take it in again, and go on till the operation 

 has to be repeated. In this way they can 

 travel almost any distance, and lire 

 lengtii of time under the ice. The 1 

 sometimes takes'advantage of this habit of 



:;he .iniiekrai in tJje 



Nmg manner :• — 

 When the marshes and ponds, where the 

 muskratg abound are first frozen oyer, and 

 the ice is thin and clear, on striking .into 

 eir houses with his hatchet, for the pur- 

 pose of ing luB traps, he frequently sees 



_a V.ii:,];,- j;V;:- ■.*!>■ !>]. "'i;.';e, ipio tiip -^ij^tcr 



swim uvray Uiitltr ike i(;e. " ' ig one 

 ofthciu for some distance, 'h'^ >-;cerk(uiiicome: 

 <d'* '■ Jm' Jiis brc:Uh in 'nicraaniier aLoye 

 described. Afser tin- anii/,:^J h^^.s breathed 

 ag.d^v^l tiir 4,\>. r?;d before lie Ijas t*me-to 

 rak<> ' ■ ■ uhblc in again, the huntei strikes 

 v'fM- lus hHi{:]\et dlrtctlv oyer hhn, and 

 '■k:lYes ]ih^\ awny frori' Ins ]yfear''i. In 

 'K. 'k* ■ n:-; i jiiuiiiig a few rods, an 



. 4- 



Iters 



X lie; ' e k V 



. lie- 11 tliese 



for 



