262 THE AMERICAN BEAVER. 



without him."^ How came Grim, it may be asked, 

 to understand the relation between sound legs and 

 the sledge? and beyond that, to feign lameness as an 

 excuse from duty? To reach this final device re- 

 quired a lengthy process of reasoning, as well as a 

 recognition of the sense and justice of his master, 

 upon both of which he intended an imposition. To 

 say the least, these acts transcend the supposable 

 powers of "an agent which performs ignorantly and 

 blindly a work of intelligence and knowledge."^ 

 They can only be explained as the operations of a 

 free intelligence. 



The works of the beaver afford many interesting 

 illustrations of his intelligence and reasoning capa- 

 city. Felling a tree to reach its branches involves a 

 series of considerations of a striking character. A 

 beaver seeing a birch-tree full of spreading branches, 

 which to his longing eyes seemed quite desirable, 

 may be supposed to say within himself: "If I cut this 

 tree through with my teeth it will fall, and then I 

 can secure its limbs for my winter subsistence." But 

 it is necessary that he should carry his thinking be- 

 yond this stage, and ascertain whether it is sufii- 

 ciently near to his pond, or to some canal connected 

 therewith, to enable him to transport the limbs, 

 when cut into lengths, to the vicinity of his lodge. A 

 failure to cover these contingencies would involve him 

 in a loss of his labor. The several acts here described 

 have been performed by beavers over and over again. 

 They involve as well as prove a series of reasoning 



^ Arctic Explorations, 1. 149. 



"^ Sir William Hamilton's definition of " Instinct." 



