Evening journal., 1893-02-20
THE NATIVE MUSKRAT.
The Habits and Fate Of the
Lively Water Rodent.
MARKETED AS A MARSH RABBIT

Under Various Names and In Numbers
Legion the HTuslrats Inhabit the Ma
lariaI Territory Of the Peninsula-The
Flesh Considered DeIicacy by Many
and the Skin Commercially Valued.
That interesting rodent, the muskrat.
is plentiful all along the Atlantic coast
in spite Of the fact that his skin has a
commercial value everywhere and his
flesh is marketed in some regions south
Of Mason and Dixon's line. The New
York Sun says that his enemies in Della
ware and Maryland call him the mus'rat,
without sounding the "k, and that he
is variously called elsewhere musquash,
muskbearer and ondatra MusSrats are
shot, trapped. and speared by thousands
all over the peninsula of Delaware and
Maryland, continues the Sun, and sold
in the street market of Wilmington as
"marsh rabbits" The colored people
are the chief consumers of the muskrat
In cities, but in the country the flesh is
eaten by all sorts Of people. It is sweet,
tender and according TO local belief,
entirely clean and wholesome. Students
of the muskrat affirm that he carefully
washes all his food in a running stream,
If possible, and that his habits generally
are cleanly.
Nearly all country stores In Delaware
and Maryland deal in muskrat skins, and
in some cases the larger storekeepers
send many thousands Of them to Europe
every year. The approved method OF
drying the skin is to turn the fur side In,
over q pointed sbingle, and the dried
skins look like counterless slippers
Many a country boy depends upon musk
rat skins for pocket money, though the
storekeepers prefer bartering for them
to paying in cash. The muskrat trade
was so valuable in times past that the
marshes upon which they have Their
burrows were rented for the privilege OF
mnskrat shooting.
The sport is best at night, when the
rats are out in search OF food. When
there Is an extraordinary flood tide In
Delaware bay and its tributaries, how
ever, thousands of rats are driven from
their burrows, whether 1t be by day OF
by night, and the slaughter is immense
Now and then one sees black object
with snake-like appendage moving
rapidly beneath the ice of frozen pond
and the knowing boy recognize tn,
creature as muskrat A sudden, sharT
and well directed blow upon the ice ovei
the muskrat's head may stun him, anC
If followed closely he may be traced tC
his burrow, or to the open water by
which he reaches the land. The musxrai
cannot long remain under water, and IL, IL
generally believed that he does not per
NIT the whole surface of any pond tC
freeze over when he has his home on it,
bank.
The muslSrat is an excellent swimmer
and only a very expert or a very lucky
sportsman is able to kill him in tn,
water. His hind feet are so placed that
he Is able to feather the oars in swim
ming, and this materially quiolyens his
pace. When ashore and suddenly
alarmed he rtcklessly hops into th'
water, making great noise and disap
pearing beneath the surface to come ul
fifteen or twenty yards away, or perhap
to enter his cell by way of a door open
ing under water This device h.
employs not because he prefers tina
method of egress and ingress, bu
merely by way of precaution
The hallway Of his dwelling crooks up
ward, and the nest is cosey place quit
beyond the reach Of any ordinary flood
Doubtless muskrats that have beei
driven out by unusually high water ex
tend their burrows further above tn
level Of the stream If they live to set u
housekeeping again.
The negroes of Maryland prize tn
odoriferous glands found in both sexes o
the muskrat, and use them as substi
tute for the musk Of commerce Ever
negro cabin near the water has from on
to dozen muskrat skins hung up to dr.
in the sun. and somewhere about th
house is likely to be secreted the mus
gland.