Milford chronicle., 1903-06-19
THE WOOD RATS INDUSTRY
Constructed n House of Ei,dI,,n
wood and Kept 1t In ReDnir.

NO%str"cted House of KindIinR
wood and Kept 1t In Repnir.
In the natural history coming under
my observation l have not seen any,
tnulS concerning the wood rat. 1t NAV
De that the rodent is too common to ot.
ract special attention. but | am in
Siiieu 10 Delieye that if he is widely
distributed, he is rarely observed.
ABOUT two years ago l became inter.
ested III pair of wood rats that seized
upon and possessed themselves of my
woodhouse for habitation. The house
Is ullrty feet long, and one end of it is
uSed Tor a workbench. repair shop and
tooi mousse. The other end is used main
iy for storing dry kindling wood and
small stove wood. The rats moved in
"neh was away for period. and the
par found a good supply of dry pine
STICKS a foot TO sixteen inches in length
/ spit from inch boards. These were of
various widths, from one to five inches
ana there were a number of heavy
sticks of scantling in Il corner. With |
notable industry the rats had piled the |
small sticks into a fairly regular pyra- !
mid, using the heavy pieces they could |
not move for foundation and frame. |
adapting their architecture to the CON
ditions of the location with remark
able ingenuity.
Their architecture fitted in with the
landscape in the woodhouse so well
that it was some time before | noticed
that the kindling wood was methodical-
ly placed. AS wet weather came and
the kindling was needed | frequently
took an armful into the house. without
realizing that l was taking gargoyles
and cornices from private residence.
In removing the sticks I often pulled
down a quantity of the pile I'm select ,
ing. After doing this for some days l ]
began to notice that each morning the
was reformed, the scattered ,
sticks collected and placed methodical. a
". As the wood was used the pyra.
aid grew smaller and smaller, but each [
morning all the scattered sticks. except
some that became wedgCd and fasten- a
ID in the larger and heavier wood. ?
would be found replaced upon the a
IpeX of the diminishing pile. When ?
he wood had been about half removed / a
began to get occasional glimpses Of Z
he rats. When l removed sticks they q
odged in and out of the pile, as though Il
hey would defend their castle to the G.
xtent of their power. Il
The wood was never entirely re- f.
loved, and that which remained was ri
ept in fairly shaped pyramid until
was not more than three feet in
iameter. The rats, of which I had
ever seen more than two. became so
lme that they would remain in sight V
4 the sills near their house within an
ms length of me at times. Later in
le season the mistress of the pyramid
lpeared with two young ones.
l now began to miss some Of my 81
)rtable property. Files, small chisels, 10
ills, measuring sticks, patterns, pieces {,
leather and such articles would dis 70
,pear from my workbench. These 4,
ON time to time 1 would find mixed Pl
with the sticks in the building ma to
rial used by the rats. have been in ii,
luicu tlAS IL oliG VI lue lLdAls VI tdc 20
limals. They are so excessively in IN
lstrious that they annex almost any 'o'
ing they can carry or drag away, u. u,
th very Indifferent ideas of property ~,
yhts or ownership. They are partial tr,
bright and glittering things, such as
IS Of glass, tin and metal. They nj
1uld doubtless acquire and hoard tai
? and acumen if they were not so mi
lch addicted to twigs and kindling De
,od.-Forest and Stream. DC