164 NOTES ON BEAVERS. 



know then that they required willow bark for their sustenance one pair 

 perished. On willow branches being furnished to the other two they 

 prospered, and at the present time {i.e., 1878) have increased to 

 sixteen ; and not only so, but curiously enough, the locally bi'ed 

 beavers have adapted themselves to their environment and taken to 

 feeding on the fir bark, sooner than eat which their predecessors 

 succumbed. 



The first thing that attracted my attention was a broad yellow ring 

 round the base of many of the trees, and as we got nearer I saw they 

 had been beautifully cut by the teeth of these animals, the chips (of 

 which I brought a few to show you) being profusely scattered around. 

 Then I observed that many trees were prostrate, and others quite 

 ready for the final cut to fell them. When engaged in this opera- 

 tion the beavers sit on their haunches, and, taking two horizontal cuts, 

 tear out the piece between them, exactly as a carpenter does when 

 reducing wood with his chisel ; and in order to cause the tree to fall in 

 the required direction (never failing in this unless an adverse wind 

 springs up at the critical moment) they cut the wood auuu/ most on the 

 opposite side, leaving a slender support a little thicker, but not much 

 thicker, than one's wrist. At this stage the beavers retire a little 

 and inspect the tree, then all but one move to a safe distance, and that 

 one proceeds cautiously with the cutting until the tree, with a graceful 

 motion, obeys the will of its persecutor. 



As soon as the tree is down, the beavers separate the branches close 

 to the stem and carry them away, then eat the bark off the butt, after 

 which an old beaver scores the latter at equal distances of about two 

 or three feet to indicate the spots at which it is to be divided into logs 

 by the others. 



They had also been very busy tearing up the grass and turf in 

 search of " Tormentil root." We followed their example, and on 

 tasting it recognised strongly the flavour of acorns. 



At this point the keeper again drew my attention to the little brook, 

 whose top, so narrow was it, was often hidden with overhanging ferns, 

 and assured me it was originally exactly the same right through tht 

 enclosure. Guess my astonishment then, for I had not heard so much 

 about beavers at that time as you have to-night, when on 

 turning a little knoll we came in view of a decent sized pond with a 

 round island in the middle, and a dam at the lower end, making an 

 average depth of about three feet of water. Proceeding a short distance 

 farther we came upon a good fair pool, the size of which you inaj 

 judge from the enlai"ged sketch I have here, which was published in 

 the January, 1878, number of the "Animal World," and taken on the 

 spot by Mr. Walter Severn. 



The dam at the lower end of this pool is semicircular, convex to 

 the stream, 62 feet long by 10 feet wide, the greater part being under 

 water and sloping to the pool. The top was about two feet wide, and 

 so strong that the three of us walked over without hesitation or 

 difficultv. One of the boughs used as a backing was as thick as a man's 



