Shall we not say, then, in view of the above facts, that this littlecreature is weather-wise? The hitting of the mark twice might be meregood luck; but three bull's-eyes in succession is not a merecoincidence; it is a proof of skill. The muskrat is not found in the0ld World, which is a little singular, as other rats so abound there,and as those slow-going English streams especially, with their grassybanks, are so well suited to him. The water-rat of Europe is teenyer,but of similar nature and habits. The muskrat does not hibernate likesome rodents, but is pretty active all winter. In December I noticedin my walk where they had made excursions of a few yards to an orchardfor frozen apples. 0ne day, along a little stream, I saw a mink trackamid those of the muskrat; following it up, I presently came to bloodand other marks of strife upon the snow beside a stone wall. Lookingin between the stones, I found the carcass of the luckless rat, withits head and neck eaten away. The mink had made a meal of him.