Bennett's article on the beaver. 327 



far superior to the summer. The former season is consequently 

 preferred for taking them, and various means are adopted for the 

 purpose. Sometimes the ice is cut through both above and be- 

 low their dwellings, nets are thrown across, and the devoted 

 animals are driven from their shelter by the breaking down of 

 their houses, and compelled to enter the nets. Sometimes a 

 number of holes are made in the ice, and they are in like manner 

 driven from their habitations ; when, as they are unable to remain 

 under water for any long time, they rise to the surface where the 

 ice is broken, and are easily secured. Under these circumstances 

 they will frequently take refuge in the holes in the banks, which 

 serve them for summer retreats; but the experienced hunters 

 readily detect the situation of these vaults by striking with their 

 chisels on the ice, and always select such spots for making their 

 apertures, in which they seldom fail of capturing their victims. 

 In summer it is more usual to take them in their houses by 

 what is termed staking them. For this purpose the hunters first 

 make an aperture in the roof to ascertain the situation of the 

 angle, and having adapted a number of stakes to the opening so 

 as completely to blockade it, cover in the top, and leave the stakes 

 on one side ready for use. They then drive the beavers from all 

 parts of the pond or river by means of dogs; and when the terri- 

 fied animals have succeeded in reaching their home, they replace 

 the stakes before the entry, remove the temporary covering from 

 the roof, and either take them alive, or spear them in their house. 

 When the sheet of water which they inhabit is merely kept up by 

 a dam, they are still more easily taken by letting oflF the water 

 and leaving their huts completely dry. The gun is also some- 

 times, but not very commonly used ; and log traps, baited with 

 poplar sticks, occasionally add in a trifling degree to the havoc 

 made among them. 



So little is known of the manners of the beaver in a domesti- 

 cated state, that we feel a peculiar gratification in having it in our 

 power to give the extremely interesting history of an individual 

 which belonged to Mr. Brodloip, to whose kindness we are in- 

 debted for the following statement : 



"The animal arrived in this country in the winter of 1825, 

 very young, being small and woolly, and without the covering of 

 long hair which marks the adult beaver. It was the sole survi- 



