ly a beaver, and has been
called at times the Little Beaver; but it has pleased the naturalists to
constitute it a genus of itself, though there is only the one species
known. Its habits are extremely like those of the beaver: it is
aquatic, or amphibious, if you please--building itself a conical house
in the midst of a swamp, or low islet, and feeding on shoots of trees,
bits of green wood, leaves and stalks of nettles, and other herbaceous
plants. Its fur bears a very great resemblance to that of the beaver,
only it is shorter, and therefore less valuable. Notwithstanding this,
it is an article of extensive commerce; and upwards of a million skins
have been imported into England in a single year. The musquash might
also be exterminated like the beaver; but being a smaller creature, and
therefore less persecuted by the amateur sportsman, it is still common
enough upon the streams of the northern and middle States of America.
Further north it is plentiful; and the Hudson's Bay Company procure a
vast number of skins for annual exportation to Europe. Its name of
musk-rat is derived from the scent of musk which the animal emits, and
which is especially powerful during the season of rut.

It is possible that the musk-rat of Siberia, as well as several species
of water-rats belonging to South America--and known vaguely by the name
of Lutras and Nutrias--may be animals of the beaver kind, rather than
Water-Rats or Otters, among which they are generally classed.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

SQUIRRELS.

These pretty little animals are widely distributed over the earth;
though to this remark Australia seems to form an exception, since no
species has yet been discovered there. However, there is much of that
great island continent yet to be explored; and perhaps it may turn out
that Australia has its squirrels, as well as other parts of the world--
no doubt squirrels with pouches.

In number of species--and also of individuals, it may be added--America
excels all other countries, and the great forests of North America may
be regarded as the head-quarters of the squirrel tribe; but, if we give
precedence to size, the squirrels of the East Indian countries are
entitled to the first place.

Animals known as Squirrels are of three very distinct kinds--viz.,
Squirrels, properly so called; Ground Squirrels: and Flying Squirrels.
These three kinds are very naturally separated into three different
genera; but the closet naturalists,