Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-12-24

I luul M9uN [ ana lulod slul ~ usfs e
should find them somewhere along the
shore, for muskratS seldom stay away
from the land very long. Fifty yards
further on, | came to little creek, at
the side of which dark spot showed
where the ice was very thin: this was
the spot which the muskrats kept open,
and whore they left and re-entered the
water every night. From the dark spot
in the ice there was Il well-beaten path
through the snow leading to the top of
the bank, which it divided into several
paths less we'll defined Here the charac-
ter of a muskrats trail could be OBJ
served the marks of the small fore feet.
the large, partlywebbed hind feet, and
between them all a single line, made by
the sharp-edged almost hairless tail, as
it had traied on the ground behind. A
single trail led up to clump of old
apple-trees, but the animal which made
it had evidently been on literally fruit
less quest, for there was no sign of his
having found anything eatable. The
other trails led to corn field nearly
quarter of mile from the water. and
here the snow presented the appearance
of railway map with lines crossing
and recrossng each other in every dircc-
ton. At frequent intervals there were
holes in the snow, scratched through to
the bare ground by tine muskrats. who
sought to CLEAN a few kernels of corn
from the frozen earth. In one place the
snow had been cut up, as though two
teams of pigmes had been playing foot
ball there, and found explanation enough
in the remains Of "a single ear of corn,
from which every kernel had been eaten
No doubt the hungry muskrats had found
the ear under the snow, and had hauled
and pulled and fought each other In their
efforts to get a share of the coveted
food.
A few days afterwards. we had some
warm weather, and the snow and ice
melted from the surface of the lake. At
ter that there came some clear. frosty
nights. and again the lake was frozen
over, this time with strong. transparent
ice. | went TO visit the muskrat house,
and when / came near l ran out upon
the ice and leaped upon the dome Of the
little dwelling, shaking 1t to its founda-
tions. could hear no sound from the
interior but as l shook the structure
saw three or four shadowy forms shoot
ing outward through the water beneath
the ice. OF course there We're the rats
and ! managed to keep my eve on one
of them as he paused close to a fallen
white birch log, close to the under surface
of the ice. He had been there perhaps
a minute. when the idea of timing him
occurred to me, and | pulled out my
watch. For three minutes there WAS not
a sign Of movement, and then a few bub-
bleS arose to the ice. About a minute
later, some more bubbles came up, and
then the animal himself hoated up against
the ice. At five minutes from the time
took out my watch, that rat lay without
a sign of life, and | began to be anxious
TOR his safety. So | stamped my foot
upon the ice and like a black streak
he dived and was gone. He had been
under water at least six minutes, and by
the way he dved and swan away after
wards he seemed little the worse for the
experience.
In the spring the freshets came. and
the surface of the lake rose until the
muskrat house was almost submerged
Then, one morning. II was washed from
its foundations and the lighter parts of
1t tloated far away. Then the muskrats
took to the banks, and they dug long
tunnels in the soft soil. Many of the
tunnels had two openings. one at the
top or side of the bank, and the other
down under the water The last was the
one they usually used when entering or
leaving their home; the other served not
only as a doorway occasionally, but as an
air -sha 1t to Nentilate the burrOw. Some
times, on warm evenings, l would hide
in the bushes near the bank, and watch
the rats or lying Nat on the surface of
the lake.
Sometimes | would see one homewari
bound, swim straight towards me until
he was within few feet of the shore
When he would dive, and presently |
would hear a certain hollow sound as he
clambercd into his burrow through the
submerged entrance And sometimes, i'm
in the middle of the day. | would see
d female rat gathering grass for her
nest. She would swim quietly to 4 spot
where the grass was thick, and, landing,
she would walk about shedding the Wa
ter from her shining coat, and bite off
tutt after tuft Of grass, until her mouth
would hold no more The she would
launch herself into the water, swim to
within short distance OF her buIroW,
and dive, y few minutes later she would |
reappear, and swim of for another load.
In the burrows in the banks, the young
muskrats are born, and | have seen these
little fellows at many stages Of their
imnaturity. AT first they are blind ana |
hairless, with very blunt noses, and with |
short sturdy limbs and thckset bodies |
When they began to get their fur, they !
are pretty little creatures, and soon they |
learn to follow their mother out of the |
burrow, and even accompany her in eN- |
Cursions across the lake or stream near
which they live. Sometimes ! have seen |
several of them sitting together on a log |
or stone near the water, into which they |
would scramble like turtles at the first |
sign OF danger, BY the fall they are |
practically full grown and no doubt |
many of them help to gather turf and |
sticks and leaves with which to make to |
make winter home.
ERNEST HAROLD RANNES