PREFACE. ix 



moasure of their works. These together seemed to me to afford 

 a much greater promise of pleasure than could be gained with 

 the fish-pole, and very soon, accordingly, the beaver was substi- 

 tuted for the trout. I took up the subject as I did fishing, 

 for summer recreation. In the year 1861, I had occasion to 

 visit the Red River Settlement in the Hudson's Bay Territory, 

 and in 18G2, to ascend the Missouri River to the Rocky Mount- 

 ains, which enabled me to compare the works of the beaver in 

 these localities with those on Lake Superior. At the outset I had 

 no expectation of following up the subject year after year, but 

 was lo«d on, by the interest which it awakened, until the mate- 

 '^rials collected seemed to be worth arranging for publication. 

 Whether this last surmise is well or ill founded, I am at least cer- 

 \ain that no other animal will be allowed to entrap the unambi- 

 tious author so completely as he confesses himself to have been 

 bV the beaver. My unrestrained curiosity has cost me a good 

 deal of time and labor. 



Vfter measuring and attempting to sketch a number of these 

 daus, I found it impossible to reproduce even a feeble copy. It 

 was evident that the photographic art was alone capable of 

 handling such a complicated subject ; and of fixing, once for all, 

 its re\parkable features. It seemed, also, to be extremely desir- 

 able t^ secure an accurate representation of these structures while 

 they were in a perfect state, as well as accessible ; since it was 

 certain that they would be abandoned by the beavers with the 

 establislment of settlements in their vicinity, after which they 

 would sieedily fall into decay. While maturing a plan to take 

 into the \ouniry for this purpose a party of photographers, the 

 desire waa gratified by the adventure of Mr. James A. Jenney, 

 who cameVo Marquette in 1861, with an instrument and the 

 necessaiy aWiances for taking landscape views. With him I 

 made an arrVigement for a series of photographs. The following 

 year, my fn\nd, the Rev. Josiah Phelps, rector of St. Peter's 

 Church at McVquette, who had taken up this beautiful art as an 

 amateur, geneWisly placed his instrument and his services at my 

 disposal, and t4us a large number of additional photographs 

 were obtained fiW time to time. The engravings in this volume, 

 with some exceptions, were made from selections from these 

 photographs. 



In addition to tlese, I made a general beaver collection, suffi- 



