In Berkshire fields . nd. On the other hand, I cantake you to twenty muskrat-huts in the course of anafternoons stroll, and by making a hole in the sodsand cattail stalks which compose the domelike roof,show you the air-chamber above the winter water-line, and the passage down into the basement water-chamber, which, in turn, leads out under the waterand ice to the feeding-grounds and the burrows inthe banks. I have often wondered why the musk-rats come out of their ponds or streams or swampsin winter and go awandering. They certainly canfind little to eat above the snow. Yet I have metthem occ
In Berkshire fields . nd. On the other hand, I cantake you to twenty muskrat-huts in the course of anafternoons stroll, and by making a hole in the sodsand cattail stalks which compose the domelike roof,show you the air-chamber above the winter water-line, and the passage down into the basement water-chamber, which, in turn, leads out under the waterand ice to the feeding-grounds and the burrows inthe banks. I have often wondered why the musk-rats come out of their ponds or streams or swampsin winter and go awandering. They certainly canfind little to eat above the snow. Yet I have metthem occasionally a considerable distance fromwater, in full daylight. Perhaps they were seekingsome other pond where there would be a freshsupply of flag roots. I well remember meeting onebig fellow on our golf-course, walking over two feetof snow. The dogs went for him, but got nippedon the noses, whereupon they withdrew a few feet,barking angrily. My companion stepped up andpoked the furry little fellow with his snow-shoe,. The -porcupine is armored against all enemies 208 IN BERKSHIRE FIELDS whereat the rat, with a squeal of rage, made aspring right over the shoe, and set his long,sharp teeth through moccasin and two pairs ofwoolen socks, into his tormentors little toe, wherehe hung fast as a bulldog, while the tormentor be-came the tormented, and began to hop wildly on onefoot, kicking with the other. As soon as I couldstop laughing sufficiently I pulled the rat off by thetail, and we let him go, the dogs in full made for the river, found a small hole betweenthe bank and the ice, and vanished. Of course,man is the great foe of the muskrat nowadays, withhis traps. The pelts are bringing undreamed-ofprices to-day, and if the present scale is kept upthe muskrat can hardly survive without can survive the unrestrained greed of single fur establishment in New York advertisedthe other day over 300,000 muskrat-skins. The least attractive, as well as one
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