CASTOR FinEK CANADENSIS. l5g 



miration ; they arc thus constructed — the Beavers first collect to- 

 gether all the drift wood which the\- find along the river, and 

 whenever this falls short, they gnaw away, in the next adjoining 

 wood, the sweetest bark all around with the front teeth, of which 

 they have two in the upper, and two in the lower gum, they then 

 cut right around the trunk until the tree falls ; when they also 

 shorten the pieces in like manner, to adapt them to the proposed 

 building. The females carry the pieces on the back, the males 

 support it behind so that it may not fall off. The houses rise in- 

 geniousl)' to the height of five stories ; they are smeared above 

 with cla)' to protect them from the rain ; in the middle is a con- 

 venient aperture through which to dive into the water as soon as 

 they perceive any person. W herefore, one of the troop keeps 

 watch by turns, and in the winter a second keeps the water open 

 by constant beating of the tail. The tail is fiattish without hair, 

 and most dainty food which in some places is served up as a rare 

 delicacy. The beavers go with young sixteen weeks ; they bear 

 once a year four young, which cry and suck like young children ; 

 for the mother rises on her hind paws and gives each two a breast 

 as she has onlv two breasts between the fore leo-s ; these lees re- 

 semble somewhat those of the dog ; the hindmost, like those of 

 geese, lap in some measure over each other. On both sides of the 

 privy parts lie two swellings enclosed in separate membranes. 

 From the privy parts oozes an oleaginous humor, with which they 

 smear all the accessible parts of the bod)- in order to keep dry. 

 Inwardl}' they resemble a cut up hog; they live on leaves and 

 bark ; are excessively attached to their young ; the wind-hairs 

 which rise glittering above the back, fall off in the summer, and 

 grow again by the fall ; they are short necked ; have strong sinews 

 and muscles ; move rapidly in the water and on land ; attacked by 

 men or dogs, they bit6 fiercely. The pure Castor, so highly prised 

 by physicians, consists of oblong follicles, resembling a wrinkled 

 pear which are firmly attached to the os pubis of the female beaver; 



