The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1892-01-01
WAYS on I'M, TnE s.1sEasT !. gsg ..a :.
THE LITTLE ANIMAL THAT IS
FoUND EVERYWHERE.
Winter Home of the BIuskrat-Its
Food-Trapping the sIuskrat for
Its Fur-Thc Best Trap


tn be found .-c.;a,,... y ,..v.o iu NorSu,
America, from the Atlantic 10 the Pacific,
and from the Rio Grande to the barren
Grounds, swelling the animal kingdom
by many millions. But its presence ia
many places Is unsupported by the major
ity OF persons, and few are really con-
versant with its habits.
In size and appearance the muskrat re-
sembles an understood beaver. It is
about two feet in length, including the
tail, which, like the beavers, is fattened
but vertically, not horizontally. In color
it is dark brown, occasionally almost
black above and lighter beneath.
The breeding season is in March aud
April, and the young appear in June and
July. 1t has been stated that the female
raises more than one litter in season.
On the 18th Of .'uuc last | pushed a skill
up shallow tidal creek in the District
of Columbia, and discovered breeding
nest of the muskrat. Built on the bank
just above high tide, it was composed of
drift rubbish, mixed with freshly cut
grass aud sticks and Jumps of mud. The
parent rats had found cotton tobacco
sack, and built this in with the other
debris.
Carefully removing the material over
tho centre Of the neft to depth of six
inches, the young rkts were to be seen.
They were four in.humber, blind, nearly
hairless. and evidqitly only u few days
old. The nest in which they lay was
made OF dry grass, a foot in diameter,
well followed out. From this centre
three passages led out; one WAS visible
in tho side of the creek baul ut low
water, and the others went to compose
the network of holes with which the bank
was honcycombcd. During my cXrmi-
nation an occasona! muill"I splash in
these subtcrrancan channels told OF the
anxious mothers presence. Though
the disturbed material was carefully
replaced, the mother rat hal made
extensive repairs before my next visit II
week later, when, To my disappointment,
procured only the empty nest. The
young had doubtless been led away oa
my approach.
AS cold weather approaches, the
muskrat, if in Il favorable locality,
builds wiutcr home. This is usualy
located in a marsh, aud contains fully =
CARLOAD of material, principally ru5hcs,
mud, and sticks. The inside chamber,
about the size Of bushCl basket, has Il
platform raised Just above the water,
into which the rats plunge ut any DIS
turbaucc from without. Usually there
arc two or more holes under the surface
OF the water, winch JON bHIcre they
enter the interior. In many places,
however, the rats seem To i've Ill tA''r
burrows IN the banks the ye." roan4.
The ioou OF the Hu'Nrttl i pr'hc'2'ly
grasses anu roots, Nnrlci VIII iicM-
water mussels IN c"ld weather, When
other food is dlllicuIt tn proc irc. ihcy
", ~ -. 49, ,r, n,,hnvaI, Il,,",
snon tbon nnrrnr,, thn fc,t n,mhrr If
FINN, S,mn of thn;r t,.,rs hr;n... ,hcr,
:,.> ,,n;,,t iii, ,,,, ,,.,,,' ,.h,,.,
,noad, ,ws thov ,Is,, u,Jor,,;,. ,.r,,,
..,u. al !, rho autumn, have
JUICY '.''N' "u ,,r ,,,r c,rr ,ilol in
seeu S.av'"' 49,. rnn rn,,r, r.n Thsv also
ue1P m".o 'I,,,v;,,,, r., ,nil,crs and
'n"NS .,;a, Loo.,u., ,r thc frcuu,ut
s ,.I-...;. I., i, ,hr hanks oc.
asiHssSS - -. L,hit.
AlthoSN i.,,,.l anil
rappedby @,s ,v;,L hu,;nrss
hey Interfere. -. d.st,u, b
,owksI owls. fox,N ord m;nl,s. the,,
enemy is malt .b,,rf -, -.
professional fur .-attelrer. In,, nuskrat's |
,kin uis his worst enemy" About A.
300 900 of these skins are taken annually
IN this continent. The skin is usrl in |
1 variety of WAYS. Sometimes, when
pluckcd aud dyed, il initiates thc costly
seal, but it is oftcncr use in its natural
state for mulrs, caps auh clothing. Thp
prolific brccdiug hts SO far
it from the fa,c Of its cousin,
','" 'I'e.' "A" "" S.'
.'''"o ''Nee l'''', "' 'N''''N .N,m ''pi
- .''"S sc"'' va. - "S
TRAINER. and its skin i; lcun in the
pack of nearly every t,avrlin-s buycr. In
thc Eastern St,t.. th, r,,,,,.,t !. f,u,l
most abuud,ntly in ia, m,r-n., nt New
Jersey Delaware. Nory,.,pI and Eu.
rini,: and here thriy. the rr,cc,,i,u,l
~ro,trr.." "A. they ar. ,.,,'"I From ,n.
18th Of Noycmb,r un,iI ,he ,,n. tim.
in April. these men r,,p their lr.g. n.r.
v,.t Some rat, are t ,.-a by -,y,,ilt
by moonlight or j.c.,.lI 1T. a,.I a.,p y,