New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-03
MISGUIDED MUSKRATS.
Their Method of Coping 5cith Diff
cuItieS in Building Home.

An instance o. seemingly perverted instinct was
witnessed recently in pair OF young m1skrats IN
the planning and building Of their first winter
home and a number Of interesting facts were OBJ
tanned as their daily movements were studied
through a field glass. without disturbing the ami
mails.
This pair contrary 70 all muskrat ways. erected
their dwelling high and drv the top OF a rock
living in deep water. fully a hundred feet from the
shore OF a Connecticut lake. along which ran the
highway. The rock was only temporarily uncovered
by a drouth and would be again submerged by
the rising water. Probably older and more ex-
perIenced animals would have realized this danger
through instinct but this was not all. A trench
entrance and exit could not be made. since this
house was literally founded upon rock" Yet.
evidently understanding that something was VIZ 7ng
these muskrats solved the problem. so far as II was
possible 10 do So IN most ingenious way
The completed house a well defined incline.
rising easily from the lowest point Of the rock,
which also slanted to the waters edge PROBABLY
the architects reasoned that by shaping the general
outline Of the exterior IN such way thai they
could make the internal passage incline. they
could arrange above the surface that which II was
impossible 10 make below. Following out this idea
then their trench was burrow that opened at the
waters edge. tunnelled through the wall and took
an upward course to the interior. chamber.
AS this curious house grew larger the operations
OF the builders readily studied and they were
found to be routineIike IN apportoning their round
of labor certain parts OF the work being executed
The material employed for the construction OF the
walls OF the house varied from that which was
used ut a later stage for 'plastering." and con-
sisted OF reeds grass, weeds. slender branch
es and twigs. This gathered late IN the after
noon and evening and perhaps all through the
night since they were compelled by their out-at-sea
situation 10 transport the stun from considerable
distance An interesting point just here Is that
as these muskrats worked at one side OF the
house one morning and upon the other side the
giving alienation each section little
time 10 settle they dropped their loads invariably
upon the margin Of the rock al the side allotted 10
the following morning.
From earliest dawn they could be- seen asserting
and cutting with their teeth this material into
bits Of the required length. As fast enough
was prepared one OF the pair gathered It up in
bunch. which he carried in his mouth TO the top
of the wall and placed in a vcrtica, position.
with it's lower end overlapping the top Of the line
below. Just shingles laid. lie pulled any
unruly twigs about until all settled snuEly into
paws and nose. evidently TO test the dura bIllty
of his work Next. throwing himself upon the
bunch, bearing down heavily. he rolled and hitched
his body about until the surface became fairly
smooth anu compact. These operations were
peated until the correctly estimated supply FOR
one mornings labor exhausted; and tnvarf-
decks of all discarded odds and ends
The interval until noon they passed out OF sight.
perhaps working at the inside, but promptly at
midday they reappeared ready now to take up
another stage Of their work
After swimming repeatedly around the rock.
seemingly inspecting their progress. they were seen
carrying fresh material; this time, water plants
and weeds all pulled IN by their roots. and heav-
Ily coated with thick. black mud Patiently they
brought load after another. always In tleir
mouths with sometimes an additional prize firmly