94 THE BEAVER 
Seton, in his description of the beaver ponds near Yancey’s, 
in the Yellowstone, mentions what he calls docks or landing 
places. These were short canals with raised mud or sod 
wharfs at the end. “These are either lookouts or sunning 
places.”” Usually there were paths leading away from 
them. At Yancey’s, Seton says many short trails ended 
at anthills occupied by small black ants. He suggests the 
beavers may have gone to these to let the ants pick off 
parasites. 
Paths are frequently found along streams which are 
detours around a rocky or steep portion of the channel 
avoiding rough traveling, and possibly are not necessarily 
used for transport. I have seen some which appeared to 
be much traveled and yet showed no indications of anything 
being dragged over them. 
Beavers sometimes have underground passages from the 
bank, coming to the surface some distance from the shore. 
One was found in the Longs Peak region the exit of which is 
shown in the cut. This was some twenty feet from the 
bank of the stream. The grass about it was matted down 
and much covered with mud over a space 23 by 6 feet, and 
from the hole a trail led up the hill toward an aspen grove. 
This hole was 54 inches long by 26 inches in greatest width 
(Fig. 45). | 
