grape and smilax vines, and the
thorny, dead, lower branches of the tree provided additional
shelter. The house was composed of sticks and twigs, mostly
of osage orange, with spines still present; slabs of bark,
wood chips, and dry leaves also made up part of it.
Materials on the exterior of the house appeared old and
weathered, but the house was conical and solid. Seven fresh
corn cobs were on the house or near its base, suggesting
that corn from the nearby field had figured importantly in
the diet of the occupant. A well beaten path led from the
base of the house alongside the log, to a large cottonwood
tree 15 feet from the house. This evidence that the house
was occupied was verified by live-trapping the occupant.
Late in 1948, also, the house was occupied by another
individual, but seemingly was deserted for a period of
months thereafter.

No. 7. On upper part of north slope where a hickory seven
inches in diameter had fallen across an old sunken log
approximately one foot in diameter. The house, composed
mainly of hickory twigs 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch in diameter,
mixed with bark, wood chips, and leaves, was partly decayed,
with no fresh sign and was in a thicket of greenbrier,
saplings of hickory and hackberry, and cut tops of
hickories. The top was flattened to less than four inches
above the level of the supporting hickory log. There were
large cavities in the side of the house. When first
discovered in the autumn of 1948, this house was occupied by
a subadult female rat, but she moved away permanently, and
the house had been deserted for approximately a year when
these observations were recorded.

No. 8. In middle of northwest slope, in thick branches of
broken top of a black oak. This house had become flattened
by decay and settling to form a mound approximately one foot
high and five feet in diameter. Only the top protruded
through the carpet of dry leaves. Once well protected and
partly concealed by the branches and twigs of the oak top,
this house was now fully exposed by the disintegration of
the top. The house consisted chiefly of oak twigs. In
October, 1948, a woodrat was live-trapped at this house, but
probably it was a wanderer. The house had then already
undergone much deterioration.

_Natural Enem