BEAVER LODGES AND BURROWS. 157 



rods above its outlet. Two-thirds of it were built out 

 upon the lake for the obvious purpose of covering the 

 entrance as well as for its extension into deep water. 

 It measured, on the line of the shore, seventeen feet 

 over its summit, and twenty-four feet in the trans- 

 verse direction, and was three feet and a half high. 

 The chamber was between the five trees which were 

 growing through the lodge and connected with the 

 lake by a long passage-way within the lodge. It 

 was constructed of sticks and poles in the usual man- 

 ner. A few rods above there was another lodge built 

 out upon the water in the same way and for the same 

 object. Similar lodges are found upon the shores of 

 most of the lakes within the area embraced by the 

 map. They are chiefly interesting as illustrations 

 of their capacity to vary the mode of construction 

 of their lodges in accordance with the changes of 

 situation. 



The finest lodge I have seen was upon a grass island 

 in Lake Flora. It was remarkable for its regular 

 and symmetrical proportions. Externally it was a 

 mass of naked poles and sticks, rather conical than 

 dome-shaped, four feet high and sixteen feet over the 

 apex. Its base was smaller than usual, relatively to 

 its height. This lodge was the habitation of the 

 beaver whose skeleton is represented in Plate III. I 

 first saw it in 1862. In 1865 I went again to see it 

 with the intention of obtaining a photograph, but 

 found it deserted and going to decay. 



Beavers are found upon the Missouri River from 

 the mountains down to the mouth of the Big Sioux, 

 along a distance of more than fifteen hundred miles, 

 although the signs of their presence are not abundant 



