124 THE BEAVER 
When unusually large trees are felled only the branches 
and upper portions of the trunks are used. The bark on 
the remainder is eaten from the log as it lies on the ground, 
or sometimes left and allowed to go to waste. The casual 
observer seeing this may perhaps blame the beaver for 
wanton destruction of the timber, when really the animal 
has used all that was of any service to itself. What more 
can we ask? Does man do any better, or as well? I must 
admit, however, that in the case of several large pines which 
I have found, cut by beavers and never used, I am at a 
loss for any explanation of such work. Some of these trees 
were so large that it must have been difficult work and taken 
much time to bring about their downfall. 
Speaking of pines brings me to the use of the bark of coni- 
fers asfood. All the authorities say this is rare, and appear 
to think it may result from necessity, due to the scarcity 
of other food. The more one studies an animal, the more 
occasion he is apt to find to modify his preconceived ideas, 
and so it proved with me in this case. In the Longs Peak 
region in 1922 [I found numerous lodgepole pines from 
which the beavers had removed some of the bark, even when 
other food was close at hand. The trees were not cut 
down, but the bark had been taken off in triangular patches 
or strips, the apex of the triangle above, as if the animal 
had cut across the lower end, then loosened it and torn the 
bark upward, causing it to come off in this form. Occa- 
sionally oblong patches were found and once or twice a 
girdled tree. ‘The trees from which the bark had been re- 
moved were from five to ten inches through. I found few or 
no chips at the bases of the trees, and never any of the bark. 
Some saplings were found which had practically all the bark 
eaten from them. Sometimes I found the tips of pine 
boughs in the water close to the shores of ponds, showing 
beaver toothmarks on their ends. While I have no proof 
