The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-20
MUsKRATs WINTER HOME.
How Ii Fits Tp-His Services as Dia-
mOnd-Back TerraDin.

mOnd-Back Terrnpin.
Chestertown (Md) Letter to the Balt-
more sun.
The veteran hunters of Kent have mined
their faith to the muskrat's forecast for
hard winter. Unless the rats of the
Kent county marshes are away off in their
reckoning there will be a strong move of
cold weather in these parts before Jan
uary closes. Everywhere the singular
looking dome houses of the muskrats are
built with the thickness of wall and
weather precautions found during cold
winters. The huts are unusually plentiful
on the river marshes. An old hunter de
clares that he never saw so many beds
to the acre in his experience.
1t is a notable fact that muskrats never
begin to build their winter homes until the
season is well advanced and always with
a view to striking a safe elevation above
the Ice line. Though notably Industrious
the muskrat never means to indulge in a
needless expenditure of labor. For exam
Pile, a settlement or colony of water rats
in their incessant nocturnal marches away
from the marshes in search of sweet an
pies of which they are fond. or other ar
ticles of food, invariably tread in single
file, so that the grass is beaten down hard
under their feet.
Trappers have already opened the winter
quarters of the rats and report every pos
sible precaution as having been taken
which fact portends a long and rigorous
winter. These huts are dome-shaped from
cellar to attic, simply a hollow cone, with
a small doorway in the sub-basement deep
in the marsh mud, and which he enters or
quits his simple barrel-like chamber. He
wastes no time in needless ornamentaton
of the interior, but eXpends all his energy.
art, and craft in making his dark, upper
story sleeping quarters warm, snug, and
comfortable. In fact, 1t is of first inn
portance to the muskrat that he be an I'M
erring, long-range weather prophet in or
der that he may have his dormer cham
Der well above the reach of February, or
March, freshets, or without a moments
notice he may be compelled to abdicate his
winter home because of the swelling floods
The muskrat is as interesting In his
methods of life as he is shy. wary and
vigilant. In the wider deeper streams he
does but little damage. He is careful in
regard to the cleanliness of what he eats.
HIS food consists principally of roots. but
fruit and grain enter into his bill of fare.
1t is an interesting sight to see the sleek
furred little fellows washing their food.
The fur of the marsh rodent having
been deodorized, Is made into oVercoats.
cheap muffs, boas, caps, mittens etc. They
have greatly lessened in price of late years.
Tens of thousands of ratsSins are annually
sold in the tidewater counties Of the east
ern shore. The flesh is a choice food NOR
sci with the colored folk, and, properly
prepared, many a diamond-back terrapn
epicure has been deceived into believing
that he Toasted on diamond backs when
he was in fact eating muskrat meat, well
cooked, highly seasoned, with a liberal
dash of fine sherry wine. This dish has
become so well established as a delicacy
that muskrat flesh is at many feasts serv-
ed as Knock terrapin"
1t Is unique kind of sport to shoot wa
ter rats by moonlight or by means of a
headlight lantern and reflector. These
lanterns throw a great flood of light upon
the water, and the rats are attracted from
FAR and near and swim in the illuminated
path. The gunner takes position in the
bow of the boat, while an expert "pusher'
silently propels the boat slowly forward.
Solitary and lonely in the great black
shadows behind them, the hunters move
on, watching sharply for the wake or rip
pie on the water. The moment the apex
of the wake has approached within easy
range tiny black spot may be seen, and
quick as a flash, he clasps his fowling
piece to his shoulder and drives a charge
the rat. If his aim is not true, quick as the
flash the game has dived to the bottom Of
the stream and is gone.