154 THE AMERICAN" BEAVER. 



through a mass of small beaver cuttings imbedded in 

 loam, of which it was composed, before we came to clear 

 earth. They were mere twigs a few inches long and a 

 quarter of an inch in diameter, and packed down in a 

 solid mass. As the floors of beaver lodges are usually 

 but three or four inches above the level of the water, 

 and so near it as to become thoroughly saturated, it 

 is extremely probable that they are, in all cases, made 

 firm and solid in this way, partly by accident and 

 partly by design. Without some such solidifying 

 process these floors would soon turn into soft mire, 

 and the chambers become uninhabitable. 



The two entrances, as in the other cases, were the 

 most interesting portions of the structure. One en- 

 tered the canal, and from thence the river to go up 

 stream; the other the river direct for going down 

 stream. The former was nearly straight, with its 

 bottom out to the canal a gentle slope; while the other 

 descended quite abruptly as it emerged from the lodge, 

 and then turning to the left, nearly at right angles, ran 

 straight to the river. Both were neatly constructed, 

 but one only, that which terminated in the canal, 

 was adapted to the purposes of a wood entrance. We 

 were able to run a pole through this passage from the 

 point where it entered the chamber out into the canal, 

 and obtain its length, together with its other dimen- 

 sions, which were as follows: 



Measurements of Wood Entrance. 



Length of passage from rim of chamber to canal 7 feet 11 inches. 



Width of same where it entered chamber 2 " 1 " 



Width throughout to the canal, about 2 " 



Depth of water in entrance just without chamber llj^ " 



Roof of entrance above level of water, at same point 1 foot 5 " 



Total height of entrance at same point 1 " 7i " 



Depth of soil and roots above passage without lodge 1 " 3 " 



