TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 



CHARACTERISTICS AND HABITAT OF THE AMERICAN BEAVER; AND HIS 

 POSITION IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 



Order Rodentia — Characteristics of the Order — The Beaver a Rodent 

 — His Color — Black Beaver — Albinos — His Size — Movements — Func- 

 tions of Tail — Vision short — Hearing and Smell acute — Social Pro- 

 pensities — Habitat of American Beaver — Their Numbers — Habitat 

 of European Beaver — Fossil European Beaver — Trogontherium — 

 Fossil American Beaver — Castoroides — Great Antiquity of the Beaver 

 Type — Systematic Position of Oastoridse — Brandt's Classification of 

 the Rodentia — Independence of this Family — American and Euro- 

 pean Beavers Varieties of the same Species 17 



CHAPTER II. 



ANATOMY OF THE BEAVER. 



Introduction — Description — Skeleton — Skull — Teeth — Muscles — In- 

 ternal Organs : Mouth, Stomach, Intestines, Ctecum, Heart, Lungs, 

 Liver, Spleen — Respiration of Aquatic Animals — Brain 46 



Appendix A. 1. Measurements of Skull. 2. Differences between 

 European and American Beavers considered. 3. Castoreum Organs, 

 and Generative Organs 287 



CHAPTER III. 



BEAVER DAM 



Remarkable Beaver District — Number of Beaver Dams — Other Works 

 — Character of the Region — Beavers now abundant — Map of Area 

 — Object of Dams — Their Great Age — Of Two Kinds — Interlaced 

 Stick-Dam — Solid-bank Dam — Great Beaver Dam at Grass Lake — 

 Its Dimensions — Surrounding Landscape — Mode of Construction — 

 Lower Face — Water Face — Great Curve — Mode of discharging Sur- 



(xiii) 



