194 THE AMERICAN BEAVER. 



maple. The pond is shallow, and thickly sprinkled 

 over in the summer with water lilies; while in the 

 moss turf, the unique Pitcher-plant [Sarracenia Pur- 

 purea) grows in the greatest profusion. This turf, 

 which is saturated with water, and yields under the 

 feet, spreads out like a carpet on the skirts of the 

 pond. These particulars have been mentioned to 

 show that there was not a spot of solid earth imping- 

 ing upon the water in which the beavers could con- 

 struct a burrow. It is well known that they never 

 risk their personal safety upon the lodge alone, which 

 is conspicuous to their enemies, but rely upon con- 

 cealed burrows as the places of final resort. In addi- 

 tion to the principal use of a canal to reach by water 

 the hard-wood lands, it was also necessary to their 

 inhabiting this pond that they should be able, by its 

 means, to reach burrowing ground. 



These canals are about three feet wide and about 

 three feet deep, with a depth of water varying from 

 fifteen to thirty inches. They are made by excava- 

 tion. The earth, which is more or less soft from sat- 

 uration, is removed by being thrown out on either 

 side, or carried out into the pond. In some places it 

 appears to have been placed on the bank, but nearly 

 all of these canals are so old that no signs can now be 

 observed of the places where the excavated materials 

 were deposited. Their artificial character is demon- 

 strated by other proofs. In the first place, they are 

 filled with water from the ponds up to the first of the 

 dams, which are sometimes built across them; and 

 where there are none, then to the end of the excava- 

 tion. The banks, in the second place, are vertical, 

 showing none of the marks of water flowing in a 



