THE BEAVER IN NORWAY 247 



direction. Only healthy trees are selected for felling, 

 and sometimes these are left half gnawed through without 

 any apparent reason. No attempt appears to be made 

 to make the trees fall in any particular direction, as they 

 may be seen lying pointing all ways. The trunks and 

 boughs, after being stripped of their bark, are cut into 

 convenient lengths and employed for building, the current 

 being used for their transport whenever practicable. Many 

 lodges are, however, constructed in still water, and the 

 animals are then compelled to convey the timber by their 

 own exertions, this being effected by holding the log in 

 the water between the fore-paws and swimming with the 

 hind-feet. 



The construction of the lodge is a serious business, 

 occupying at least two years, and annual repairs are 

 necessary to keep it in habitable condition. Building 

 operations take place in the autumn, lasting from Sep- 

 tember till well into November, and as they are nearly 

 always undertaken at night, it is but seldom that an 

 opportunity occurs of seeing the animals at work. In 

 Norway the lodges are either conical or elliptical in shape, 

 the majority being now of the latter type. The conical 

 lodges, which appear to have been more common formerly 

 than they are at present, are placed on the banks of ponds 

 in which the water level is constant, such ponds being 

 either natural or made by the animals damming up the 

 stream. On the other hand, the elliptical or elongated 

 lodges are invariably formed on the banks of a river with 

 running water subject to constant change of level. Although 

 the majority are considerably smaller, they may be as 

 much as fifty feet in length, the width seldom exceeding 

 eight or nine feet. One half generally lies under water, 

 and thus prevents the edifice from being left high and dry 



