604 



AMICRICAX I'URi:STRV 



trees they kill ha\e no value. \\ here beaver have to 

 be killed or removed the work should be done under 

 the direct control of an efficient State (iaine Depart- 

 ment. 



Wherever general trapping is ])ermittc<i, the ani- 

 mals will soon become extinct. I believe, that in cer- 

 tain wild regions as on Isle Koyale, in Lake Su])erior, 

 colonies of beaver might yield a reasonable income, if 

 properly managed. 



Against their natural enemies they arc well pro- 

 tected. Lynxes and wolves cannot attack them in the 

 water nor in their houses t)r burrows. 1 have seen 







iin.M M, A i;i-,.\\ KK innsK 

 The opening in this beaver house is large enough to admit a man whc 

 is well on his way to explore tlie interior. Note the large branches ol 

 which it is htiilt. 



Otter trails near beaver houses and it is possible that 

 this agnostic hunter may attack them in the water or 

 even in\ade their houses. A hungry eagle would no 

 doubt jMJunce u])on the young, but the beaver children 

 seldom venture more than a few yards from the paren- 

 tal roof and castle. 



To harmless woodland neighbors the beavers arc 

 indifferent and live at ])eacc with them; and for catcli 

 ing glimpses of the life of the wood folk there is no 

 better |)lace than a beaxer ptjnd. 



At one i)lace I ol)ser\ed daily from my shelf-]>Iat 

 form in a tree the feeding and jilayiiig of a brood of 

 black ducks. A young woodchuck also browsed right 

 below me and used the beaver dam as his turn])ike. 

 Once he tried to cross the stream on a ]>ole, but lost 

 his hold and fell with a splash into the water. 



At another pond, a flock of Canadian jays tried to 

 steal my bacon out of the frying pan, and at a third 

 pond I observed the play and calls of loons that were 

 unconscious of my presence, and I watched deer feed 

 ing for an hour near a beaver clearing. 



The Indians indulged in many practical jokes at 

 the expense of tlu-ir pi(]us Jesuit teachers. One of 



HOW .\ BE.AVER SAVED WORK 



Whether the animal knew liow to do it or not the fact remains that thii 

 tree was felled after the Ijeaver had cut tlirough only one side of it. 



Ihem, Father Joseph Louvence, tells us that the 

 l>ea\crs have two teeth projecting from the sides of 

 their mouths like swords and that \hc\ use these like 

 saws in cutting down trees, that their houses are 

 divided into several stories and that their dams are so 

 ingeniously built that one could exjiect nothing better 

 from the most skilful architect. The account shows 

 that the good father had never seen a beaxer house, a 

 dam nor a beaver. 



fl.NlC TKICl-; t I I H\ HK.W KK 



Note the size of this tree and guess the amount of worlc required to cut 

 it down. Tile power and sharpness of the iieaver's teeth may be judged 

 by the fact that some of the chips are four inches Umg. 



