The Musk-rat Again Reports indicate that one threat against the
equal balance of nature in England is absolved. The musquash or musk- rat diminishes. In the course of the official campaign, which has its headquarters in Shropshire, a good deal of natural history has been learnt. One point is that there is a more or less regular spring migration, caused doubtless by overcrowding and by the desire to pair. Some of us have noticed the same with the grey squirreL At the mating season odd members will travel great distances and appear where they have never before been seen. The danger from the musquash was over-rated. Some reports actually sug- gested that these burrowers were endangering the dam of Lake Vyrnwy (which is of solid concrete many yards broad). Nevertheless the danger existed. Years ago I read in Austrian papers accounts of the disastrous weakening of canal banks ; and what the animals did in Eastern Europe they might do here. The measures of repression have been successful, and the number destroyed decreases steeply ; but it is still necessary to be watchful especially at the periphery of their migrations;' and observers, especially on the Severn and its tributary ditches, will do public service by reporting the whereabouts of any vagrom.
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