BEAVER MEADOWS. 385 



nature of the surrounding country, the open spaces now 

 joining the beaver ponds the beaver meadows where the 

 trees are scanty or small must at one time have been all 

 covered with forests.' At first the beavers ' began to clear 

 the forest just in the immediate vicinity of the dams, 

 extending in every direction, first up the stream as far as 

 the nature of the creek would allow, and then laterally by 

 means of their canals, as far as the level of the ground 

 would allow, thus little by little clearing a larger area 

 according to the time they have occupied any particular 

 place.' In this way beavers may change the whole aspect 

 of large tracts of country, covering with water a great 

 extent of ground which was once thickly wooded. 



