FOOD AND TREE CUTTING 127 
that this bark was eaten, I have but little doubt that it was, 
for I know of no other use to which it would be put. The 
beavers would hardly be likely to use it for bedding, no 
matter how fond they might be of the piney odor, for the 
pitch would soon soil their fine fur coats (Fig. 70). 
In 1923, in the Yellowstone Park, I gathered much more 
evidence as to the use of conifer bark by beavers. Visiting 
the Crescent Hill colony for the first time in two years, and 
with much curiosity as to what developments had taken 
place during that time, I found that the inhabitants were 
obtaining part of their food from Douglas firs. On very 
large trees they were cutting away the thick outer bark, 
which lay strewn about on the ground, and were eating the 
inner bark to a height of two feet from the ground. One 
tree was almost girdled in this way, and the beavers had 
also scraped the earth away from the roots and eaten the 
bark from them. Smaller trees had been cut down, tops 
and branches cut off and carried away, and the logs remained 
practically denuded of their bark. At one place beside the 
Yellowstone River several firs were found which had been 
attacked in the same way. At another place by the Yellow- 
stone I found where Engelmann spruces had been cut several 
years ago (Fig. 71). 
At the above mentioned locality on the Lewis River 
several lodgepole pines had had the bark removed in much 
the same manner as in the Longs Peak region. 
At various other colonies near Camp Roosevelt I found 
where beavers had used small firs and spruces. 
I have therefore come to the conclusion that the beaver 
makes much more use of conifer bark than it has been 
supposed to do. 
Dugmore says that he has been told by trappers and In- 
dians that about the time the young are to be born the 
pregnant female eats a small quantity of conifer bark, 
