the idea of this peculiar power to do what
no chemist has yet succeeded in, viz., the creation of an essence
subtle enough to pass through glass. That musky bottles were frequent
formerly is due to impregnated corks and insufficient washing before
the bottle was filled. The musk-rat in a quiescent state is not
offensive, and its odour is more powerful at certain seasons. I am
peculiarly sensitive to smells, and dislike that of musk in
particular, yet I have no objection to a musk-rat running about my
room quietly if I do not startle him. I never allow one to be killed,
and encourage their presence in the house, for I think the temporary
inconvenience of a whiff of musk is amply repaid by the destruction
of the numerous objectionable insects which lurk in the corners of
Indian houses. The notion that they do damage by gnawing is an
erroneous one, the mischief done by mice and rats being frequently
laid to their charge; they have not the powerful dentition necessary
for nibbling through wood and mortar. In my book on 'Camp Life in
Seonee,' I say a good word for my little friends, and relate as
follows an experiment which I tried many years ago: "We had once been
talking at mess about musk-rats; some one declared a bottle of sherry
had been tainted, and nobody defended the poor little beast but
myself, and I was considerably laughed at. However, one night soon
after, as I was dressing before dinner, I heard a musk-rat squeak
in my room. Here was a chance. Shutting the door, I laid a clean
pocket-handkerchief on the ground next to the wall, knowing the way
in which the animal usually skirts round a room; on he came and ran
over the handkerchief, and then, seeing me, he turned and went back
again. I then headed him once more and quietly turned him; and thus
went on till I had made him run over the handkerchief five times.
I then took it up, and there was not the least smell. I then went
across to the mess house, and, producing the handkerchief, asked
several of my brother officers if they could perceive any peculiar
smell about it. No, none of them could. 'Well, all I know is,' said
I, 'that I have driven a musk-rat five times over that
pocket-handkerchief just now.'"

When I was at Nagpore in 1864 I made friends with one of these shrews,
and it would come out every evening at my whistle and take
grasshoppers out of my fingers. It seemed to be very short-sighted,
and did not notice the insect till quite close to my hand, w