264 THE AMERICAN BEAVER. 



they are constantly in use among the beavers of 

 Lake Superior. On the other hand, the "beaver- 

 sUdes" so common and so necessary on the Upper 

 Missouri, are unnecessary, and therefore unknown, in 

 the Lake Superior region. Contrary to the common 

 opinion, is there not some evidence of a progress in 

 knowledge to be found in the beaver canal and the 

 beaver-slide? There was a time, undoubtedly, when 

 the canal first came into use, and a time, consequently, 

 when it was entirely unknown. Its first introduction 

 was an act of progress from a lower to a higher artifi- 

 cial state of life. The use of the slide tends to show 

 the possession of a free intelligence, by means of 

 which they are enabled to adapt themselves to the 

 circumstances by which they are surrounded. In like 

 manner it has been seen that the lodge is not con- 

 structed upon an invariably typical plan, but adapted 

 to the particular location in which it is placed. The 

 lake, the island, and the bank lodge are all different 

 from each other, and the difference consists in changes 

 of form to meet the exigencies of the situation. These 

 several artificial works show a capacity in the beaver 

 to adapt his constructions to the particular conditions 

 in which he finds himself placed. Whether or not 

 they evince progress in knowledge, they at least show 

 that the beaver follows, in these respects, the sugges- 

 tions of a free intelligence. 



"Instinct," says Dr. Reid, "is the habitual power 

 of producing effects like contrivances of reason, yet 

 so far beyond the intelligence and experience of the 

 agent, as to be wholly uuexplainable by reference 

 to them." Habitual acts can only be understood 

 from human experience. Acts to be performed habit- 



