Beaver 465 



Beaver Is so skilful that it can always throw the tree toward 

 the stream is quite misleading. It cuts first the trees on the 

 margin and they always lean toward the stream, so must fall 

 streamward. But later, when cutting farther afield, the trees 

 as often go wrong as right. The work of felling is usually 

 done by the pair with assistance at times from their grown-up 

 children. 



Two Beavers can cut down a three-inch sapling In three 

 minutes and a six-inch tree m an hour or two. Three are the 

 most that have been seen working on the same tree at once. 



"With this number [says Morgan"] two nights at most 

 would give ample time to fell a tree a foot in diameter." A 

 party of surveyors in the Beaver country near Marquette 

 ** counted nineteen tree-falls which they heard in a single night 

 between the hours of seven and twelve o'clock." ^^ 



The same observer gives the following interesting descrip- 

 tion of the felling :^^ 



"When but two are engaged they work by turns, and 

 alternately stand on the watch, as is the well-known practice 

 of many animals while feeding or at work. When the tree 

 begins to crackle, they desist from cutting, which they after- 

 ward continue with caution until It begins to fall, when they 

 plunge into the pond, usually, and wait concealed for a time, 

 as if fearful that the crashing noise of the tree-fall might attract 

 some enemy to the place. The next movement is to cut off 

 the limbs, such as are from two to five and six inches In diame- 

 ter, and reduce them to a proper length to be moved to the 

 water and transported thence to the vicinity of their lodges, 

 where they are sunk In a pile as their store of winter provisions. 

 Upon this work the whole family engage with the most 

 persevering industry, and follow It up night after night, until 

 the work is accomplished. The greatest number of Beavers 

 ever seen thus engaged by any of my informants was 9, while 

 the usual number is much less." 



Similar testimony is given by Long in his "Expedition 

 to the Rocky Mountains." 



^''Am. Beaver, p. 220. ^ Ibid., p. 221. ^ Ibid., pp. 172-3. 



