Strange Dwellings 
CHAPTER I. 
BURROWING MAMMALIA . 
Introduction— Man as a Burrower — The Mole and its Dwelling— Difficulty of 
observing its Habits — Complicated structure of its Fortress, and its Uses — 
Character of the Mole — Adaptation of its Form to its mode of Life — Common 
Objects— The Shrew Mole, Elephant Shrew, and Musk Rat— The 
Arctic Fox — Structure of its Limbs — Form of its Burrow — The Common 
Fox — Mode of Burrowing and economy of Labour — The young Family — 
The Weasels — The Badger and its Burrow — The Prairie Dog, or 
Wish-ton-Wish — Dog-towns — Unpleasant Intruders — The Rabbit, and 
the Warren — The Chipping Squirrel — Curious form of its Dwelling — The 
Pouched Rat — The White Bear— Its curious Dwelling: — Snow as a 
Shelter — The Pichiciago — Its Form, Armour, and Burrow — The Manis — 
The Aard Vark, Its Food and Dwelling — The Mallangong — Its strange 
Habits and its Burrow — The Porcupine Ant-Eater — Its burrowing 
Powers. 
T some period of their existence, many of the higher 
Jr\ animals require a Home, either as a shelter from the 
weather, or a defence against their enemies. Of all forms of 
habitation, the simplest is a burrow, whether beneath the surface 
of the ground, or into stone, wood, or any other substance. 
The lowest grades of human beings are found to adopt this 
easy and simple substitute for a home, and the Bosjesman of 
the Cape, and the 4 Digger ? Indian of America, alike resort to 
so obvious an expedient. 
Human habitations, however, do not come within the scope 
of the present work, which is restricted to those homes that are 
B 
