MAMMALS OF PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY. 7 1 



•was finished to the last straw, and, moreover, was abandoned, the fickle- 

 minded beavers having already started another dam some distance away. 

 The frost king evidently had interrupted the beavers before they had time to 

 finish the new structure, for found it was, frozen, in an incomplete state. 



" All around the stream, for a distance of half a mile on either bank, were 

 evidences of the busy beavers' work. In one spot no less than seven trees 

 had been felled into the stream, which flows toward the new dam, in such a 

 ^v^y that the current would carry the supply of timber down to the builders. 



" It was particularly interesting to note how cleverly the beavers selected 

 the trees to be felled. In every case, the trees cut had been growing close 

 to the bank in such a sloping position that the tree was sure to tumble into 

 the water as it fell. The keen teeth had attacked the tree always on the side 

 further from the water, so that the weight would assist the operation of felling, 

 and send it in the direction favorable to transportation. 



" Some of the trees felled were of such a size that it would seem to have 

 l)een an impossibility for a beaver to haul it to the water ; but with the stream 

 as an ally, and the law of gravitation to help carry the tree to the stream, all 

 "was easy. 



" It is not likely that Judge Edinger will fail to take the necessary precau- 

 tions. 



" ' I had one fellow,' indignantly remarked the Judge to the writer, * ask 

 me if he could not go over there and shoot a beaver. Why, I'd almost as 

 ?oon he'd shoot me. I'm going to protect the beavers, and hope they'll thrive 

 until they are common sights along the river. One man told me I'd regret 

 it because of the damage to the timber. Well, they're welcome to all the 

 trees they can cut down. What are the few trees compared to a beaver dam 

 on one's own property?' 



" No one has been fortunate enough to see a member of the new colony so 

 far. Nor is any one likely to during the winter, for when the cold weather 

 begins the beavers retire to their winter quarters. 



"Judging by the work done, the colony must number at least a score ; most 

 of the young trees growing along the stream are probably doomed, for, 

 although work has of necessity been suspended, it evidently has not been 

 abandoned, for newly-cut trees are lying on the ice ready for resumption of 

 operations when the cold days give place to dam-building weather." 



In confirmation of this story, Mr. Edinger writes me, from Stroudsburg, 

 under date of Jan. 25, 1902 : 



" Your letter received in due course, and in reply would say that the ac- 

 count of the beavers on my farm, as published in the North American of 

 Sunday, Dec. 15th, 1901, is correct. From the cutting of the timber done 

 by them on my farm, I imagine they have been there for about two years, but 

 were only discovered last fall. They have built a temporary dam about one 



