BUILDING INSTINCT OF BEAVER. 
539 
tranquillity which they require for the construction of the 
works now described, they no longer build huts, hut live in 
excavations in the hanks of the water. 
708. The building instinct shows itself, even when the 
Beaver is in captivity, and under circumstances in which it 
could he of no use. A half-domesticated individual, in the 
possession of Mr. Broderip, began to build as soon as it was 
let out of its cage and materials were placed in its way. Even 
when it was only half-grown, it would drag along a large 
sweeping-brush or warming-pan, grasping the handle with its 
teeth, so that the load came over its shoulder ; and would 
endeavour to lay this with other materials, in the mode em¬ 
ployed by the Beaver when in a state of nature. “ The long 
and large materials were always taken first; and two of the 
longest were generally laid cross-wise, with one of the ends 
of each touching the wall, and the other ends projecting out 
into the room. The area formed by the cross-brushes and 
the wall, he would fill up with hand-brushes, rush-baskets, 
books, boots, sticks, cloths, dried turf, or anything portable. 
As the work grew high, he supported himself upon his tail, 
which propped him up admirably; and he would often, after 
laying-on one of his building materials, sit up over against it, 
appearing to consider his work, or, as the country people say, 
‘judge it. ? This pause was sometimes followed by changing 
the position of the material judged ; and sometimes it was 
left in its place. After he had piled up his materials in one 
part of the room (for he generally chose the same place), he 
proceeded to wall-up the space between the feet of a chest of 
drawers which stood at a little distance from it, high enough 
on his legs to make the bottom a roof for him; using for this 
purpose dried turf and sticks, which he laid very even, and 
filling up the interstices with bits of coal, hay, cloth, or any¬ 
thing he could pick up. This last place he seemed to appro¬ 
priate for his dwelling; the former work seemed to be intended 
for a dam. When he had walled-up the space between the 
feet of the chest of drawers, he proceeded to carry-in sticks, 
cloths, hay, cotton, &c., and to make a nest; and when he 
had done, he would sit up under the drawers, and comb him¬ 
self with the nails of his hind feet.” 
709. We see, in this account, a very interesting example 
of the irrational character of Instinct. If the animal were 
