The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1874-08-22
The California Wood Rat.

In recent number of the american
Journal is an extract of letter from Mr..
A. w. Chase, u. S. Coast Survey, con-
corning the habits of the so-called Califor-
MIA wood rat. 1t is little larger than an
ordinary Norway rat, dark brown in color,
with large lustrous eyes, and a tail covered
with thin hairs. | should call it interme-
date between the squirrel and rat. This
creature builds its nest in the woods, some
times on the ground, more frequently in
the lower branches of trees. They accu-
mHlate surprising quantity OF dried
twigs, which they interlace to form a
dome-shaped structure, often ten or twelve
feet high and six or eight feet in diam
eter.
Openings in the mass lead to the center,
where is found the nest, consisting of the
finely divided inner bark of trees, dried
grass, etc. But it is to the peculiar THEY
ish propensity of this little creature that
wish to call attention. To make my story
Ineligible, would first state that | am
partial owner of some property on the
Oregon coast, on which a saw mill had
been placed, but which, owing to various
causes, has never been in operation. On
this property was dwelling house for the
hands, in which, ON work being discon-
tinued, were stored a quantity of stuff,
tools, packing for the engine, six or seven
kegs of large spikes in the closets, knives,
forks, spoons, etc. A large cooking-stove
was left in one of the rooms.
This house was left uninhabited for two
years, and, being at some distance from
the little settlement, it was frequently
broken into by tramps who sought shell
ter for The night. When / entered this
house l was astonishea to see an immense
rats nest on the empty stove. On exam
lining this nest, which was about five feet
in height and occupied the whole top Of
the stove "a large range), found the out
side to be composed entirely of spikes, all
laid with symmetry so as to present the
points of the nails outward. In the center
of this mass was the nest, composed of
finely divided fibers of the hemp pack
ing Interlaced with the spikes, We
found the following: About three dozen
knives, forks, and spoons, all the butcher
knives, three in number, large carving
knife, fork, and steel; several large plugs
Of tobacco; the outside casing of silver
watch was disposed of in one part of the
pile, the glass of the same watch in another.
and the works in still another; an old
purse containing some silver. matches. and
tobacco; nearly all the small tools from
the tool closets, among them several large
augers. Altogether, it was very curious
mixture of different articles, all of which
must have been transported some distance,
as they were originally stored in different
parts of the house.
The ingenuity and skill displayed in the
construction of this nest and the curious
taste for articles of iron, many of them
heavy, for component parts, struck me
with surprise. The articles of value were,
[ think, stolen from the men who had
ing. have preserved a sketch of the IRON
clad nest, which think unique in natural
history.
Many curious facts have since been re-
lated to me concerning the habits of this
little creature. A miner told me the fol-
lowing: He once, during the mining ex-
element in Siskyiou county, became in
California parlance dead broke" and ap-
piled for and obtained employment in
mining camp, where the owners, hands
and all, slept in the same cabin. Shortly
after his arrival small articles commenced
to disappear if whole plug of tobacco
were left on the table, it would be gone in
the morning. Finally bag, containing
one hundred or more dollars in gold dust.
was taken from small "bnnk," in which
one of the proprietors of the claim slept.
Suspicion fell on the new conner, and he
would perhaps have Jared hardly; for,
with those rough miners, punishment is
short and sharp; but, just in time, large
rats nest was discovered in the garnet of
the cabin, and in it was found the miss
ing money, as well as the tobacco and
other articles supposed to have been stolen,