THE BEAVER. 51 
are cut into lengths and carried off for building 
purposes. 
“The story that Beavers use their broad flat tails 
as a ‘trowel’ for plastering purposes is said by the 
keeper (who has spent a very great deal of time in 
watching their habits, getting up into a tree before 
dark, and sitting there without sound or motion for 
hours and hours) to be a myth. He describes the 
process of plastering as follows: The Beaver swims 
away from the dam or house upon which it is at 
work for some distance, then dives, and emerges 
LOWER JAW OF BEAVER FROM THE FENS. (2% NAT. SIZE.)* 
again close to the dam or house, carrying the mud 
in its mouth. It then places it where required, and 
proceeds to knead it with its forefeet; and when 
one considers the enormous amount of work entailed 
in thus plastering a dam of Soft. or 100ft. long, 
1oft. to 15ft.. thick at the base, and 8ft. to 1oft. 
high, it makes one wish that our human workmen 
would display a little more of the indomitable per- 
severance shown by these wonderful little creatures. 
* From a specimen in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons. 
E 
