MODE OF TRAPPING BEAVER. 237 



fortunate in point of time, that is, if there is a present 

 want of a cutting at the lodge, he has but a short time 

 to wait. A beaver goes out from the lodge to bring 

 back a cutting from the pile, and, finding a barrier 

 around the magazine, he seeks and finds the only 

 opening left, through which he passes into the inclos- 

 ure. As he enters, the light twig is moved, disclos- 

 ing to the trapper above his presence within the pen; 

 whereupon the latter restores the stake to its place, 

 and the fate of the luckless beaver is sealed. When 

 he finds his return to the lodge cut off, he swims 

 around the circuit of the stakes until he comes back 

 to the place where he entered, and there resigns him- 

 self to death. After he is drowned, the trapper takes 

 him out of the pond, removes the stake, restores the 

 twig, and again lies down to wait the coming of the 

 second, beaver. The same necessity which sent out 

 the first soon sends out another upon the same errand, 

 to experience the same fate. One after the other the 

 remainder of the family, under the pressure of the 

 same hunger, and perhaps to discover the cause of the 

 absence of those who went before them, go forth from 

 the lodge and enter the fatal prison-house of the trap- 

 per. It is said that if he takes the first beaver by 

 this device, it is almost certain that he will capture 

 the entire family. The drawback to this manner of 

 entrapping is the danger of alarming their fears by the 

 presence of the palisade around their pile of cuttings, 

 at which, if the first beaver turns back, the rest will 

 keep at a distance. It is further stated that they in- 

 variably drown at the stake where they entered. 



In trapping bank beaver, they use various kinds of 

 scents to attract them to the place where the trap is 



