Musk-rat 
Cedar-birds 
or across the stream, with their slow but graceful flight. 
A Musk-rat which came up within a yaxd of my 
boat and then swam directly away from me employed its tail 
continuously, as I could see with perfect distinctness, 
which doubtless added somewhat to the impetus 
in a lateral sculling motion/given and maintained (as I could 
also see) by the feet. I have often before suspected that 
the tail was used in this way, but now I knew it. 
Two Cedar birds sitting on a dead branch near my 
cabin passed something back and forth between them, each as 
it accepted the proffered offering throwing up its head, 
opening its bill wide, and quivering the half-opened wings 
precisely like a young bird. I had left my glass in the 
canoe, unfortunately, and failed to make out what the morsel, 
was. A third Cedar bird at one time joined the other two 
without opposition or welcome on their part, then, after 
sitting still a moment, left them. 
Z1 
