The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1867-03-09
Natural Gistorp.
The Muskrat.

When our river tthe Connecticut.1 over.
flows its banks in the spring, the wind from
the meadows is laden with strong scent of
musk, and by its freshness alvertises me of
an nncxplorcd widness. Those backwoods
are not far off then. am affected by the
| sight of the cabins of the muskrat, made of
mud and grass, and raised three or four feet
along the river, as vixen | read of the bur.
! rows Of Asia.
! The muskrat is the beaver of the settled
States. Their number has even increased
within few years in this vicinity. Am ng
the rivers which empty into the Merrmack,
the Concord Is known to the boatmen as a
dead stream. The Indians are said to have
called it Muskctaqnid, or Prairie river It's
current being much more sluggish, and its
water more muddy than the rest, it abounds
more in hslLand game Of every kind. Ac.
cording to the history Of the town, ''thc fur.
trade was here once very important. As
early as 164l, company was formed in the
colony, of which Major Willard, of Concord,
| was superintendent, and had the exclusive
! other articles; and for this right they were
obliged to pay into the public treasury one.
twentieth Of all the furs they obtained"
There are trappers in our midst still, as
we'll as on the streams of the far West who
night and morning go the round of their
traps, without fear OF the Indian. One of
these takes from one hundred and fifty to
two hundre muskrats in "a year, and even
thrtv.sX have been shot in a day. Their
fur, which is not nearly as valuahlcas form.
erly, is in good condition in the winter and
spring only; and upon the breaking up of
the ice, when they are driven out of their
holes by the water the greatest number is
shot from boats. either swimming or resting
on their stools, or sli ght supports of grass or
reeds, by the side of the stream. Though
they exhibit cunning at other times, they
are easily taken in trap, which has only
to be placed in their holes, or wherever
they frequent, without any bait being used,
though it is sometimes rubbed with their
musk. In the winter the hunter cuts holes
in the ice, and shoots them when they come
to the surface. Their burrows are usually
in the high banks Of the river, with the en-.
trance under water, and rising within to
above the level of high water. Sometimes
their nests, composed ofdred meadow grass
and flags, may be discovered where the bank
is low and sponey, by the yielding of the
ground under the feet. They have from
three to seven or eight young in the spring.
Frequen tly. in the morning or evening,
long ripple is seen N the still water, where
a muskrat is crossing the stream, with only
its nose above the surface, and sometimes
green bough nits mouth to build its house with
When it finds itself observed, it will dive
and swim five or six rods under water, and
at length conceal itself in its hole or the
weeds. 1t will remain under water for ten
minutes at time, and on one occasion has
been seen, when undisturbcd, to form an
air bubble under the ice, which contracted
and expanded as it breathed at leisure
When it suspects danger on shore, it will
stand erect like a squirrel, aud survey its
neighborhood for several minutes, without
moving.
In the fall, if the meadow intervene be,
tween their burrows and the stream, they
erect cabins Of mud and grass, three or four
feet high, near its edge. These are not their
breeding places, though their young are
sometimes found in them in late freahets,
but rather their hunting lodges, to winch
they resort in the winter with their food,
and for shelter. Their FOOD consists chiefly
of flags and fresh water muscles, the shells
Of the latter being left in large quantities
around their lodges in the spring.
The Pcnobscot Indian wears the entire
skin of a muskrat, with the legs and tail
dangling, and the head caught under his
girdlc, for pouch, into which ha puts his
fishing. tackle, and essences to scent his
traps with.
HENRY y. THoREAr.