Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1904-01-08

Constructed. House .of kIudilnl
Wood and Kept Il m Repair.
In the natural history coming under
my observation I have mot seen any.
thing concerning the wood rat. Il
may be that the rodent is too com
mon to attract special attention, but
I am inclined to believe that. X he
Is widely distributed he Is rarely OBJ
served
About two years ago became IN.
terested IN q pair Of wood rats that
seized upon and possessed themselves
Of my wood house for habitation.
The house IS thirty feet long and one
end Of it used for work bench. re-
pair shop and tool house. The other
end IS used mainly for storing dry
kindling wood and small stove wood
The rats moved In when J was away
for a period and the pair found a
good supply Of dry pine sticks a foot
to sixteen inches IN length split from
inch boards. These were Of various
widths from one to i've inches, and
there we're a number Of heavy sticks,
Of scantling In a corner. With nota.
bic 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 conditions Of the location with re-
markably Ingenuity.
Their architecture fitted in with the
landscape IN the woodhouse so we'll
that It was some time before 1 noticed
that the kindling wood was methodi-
eally placed. AS wet weather came
and the kindling was needed, fre-
quently took an armful into the house.
without realizing that / was taking
gargoyles and cornices from a private
residence.
In removing the sticks often
pulled down q quantity of the pile in
selecting After doing this for some
days l began to notice that each
morning the pyramid was reformed.
the scattered sticks collected aud
placed methodically AS the wood
was used the pyramid grew smaller
and smaller, but each morning all the
scattered sticks, except some that be.
came wedged and fastened in the
larger and heavier wood, would be
found replaced upon the apex of the
diminishing pile When the wood had
been about half removed began to
get occasional glimpses of the rats.
When / removed sticks they dodeed
in and out of the pile. as though they
would defend their castle to the ex-
tent Of their power.
The wood was never entirely re.
moved, and that which remained was
kept In a fairly shaped pyramid until
II was not more than three feet in
diameter The rats. of which / had
never seen more than two, became so
tame that they would remain in sight
on the sills near their house within
an arms length of me at times. Lat
er in the season the mistress of the
pyramid appeared with two young
ones.
/ now began to miss some of nv
portable property Files, small chisels
nails, measuring sticks. patterns,
pieces Of leather and such articles
would disappear from my work bench.
These from time to time would fiud
mixed in with the sticks in the build
ing material used by the rats. Since.
am informed this is one of the
traits of the animal. They are so ex-
cessively industrious that they annex
almost anything they can carry or
drag with very Indifferent ideas of
property rights or ownership. They
are partial to bright and glittering
things. such as bits of grass, tin and
metal They would doubtless acquire
and hoard money with almost trust.
IKE perspicuity and aeumen II they
were not SO much addicted to twigs
and kindling woOd-Forest and
Stream