THE INTELLIGENCE OF THE BEAVER 27 
rabbit and porcupine, as to intelligence. Later, thanks to 
the work of such observers as Hearne and Morgan, we find, 
as usual, that the truth is between the two extremes. 
That the beaver is adaptable no one who has studied 
its work will deny. In adapting itself to or taking ad- 
vantage of circumstances it does just what a human engineer 
does when, before beginning the construction of a dam, for 
instance, he studies the surroundings, investigates the pro- 
posed site and the character of the underlying rocks or soil, 
and having gained this knowledge, plans his work accord- 
ingly, more elaborate and thorough than what the beaver 
does, and more consciously done than the beaver’s work, 
perhaps. But the main point is that each adapts itself 
to circumstances, and if in the case of the man this shows 
intelligence, why not also in the case of the beaver? 

