156 THE AMERICAN BEAVER. 



length. Besides this, as they almost invariably trans- 

 port their cuttings down stream, the other, from its 

 location, was the proper wood entrance. As the river 

 was too shallow, on the lodge side, for their conceal- 

 ment, the beavers had excavated a channel, about 2 

 feet deep, in its bed for a distance of 25 feet out into 

 deep water. The artificial character of this channel 

 was perfectly manifest. 



We piled up the sticks and poles taken from this 

 lodge, and estimated the contents at half a cord. It 

 was of the average size, and a fair specimen of these 

 structures. 



With the minute description, now concluded, of 

 island and bank lodges, it will be unnecessary to 

 enter into details with reference to other varieties, 

 except to point out differences where they exist. 



Fig. 14. 



Lake Lodffe. Ground Plan. 



It has elsewhere been stated that beavers inhabit 

 the small lakes as well as the flowing streams. They 

 construct lodges upon their shores, which, as they are 

 usually shelving and have a hard bottom, render 

 some further variation in structure necessary. The 

 lodge represented in the above ground plan (Fig. 14) is 

 situated upon the south shore of Lake Diamond, a few 



