356 BULLETIN 56, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. . 



which they have commenced to chisel the wood. Some of these 

 trees are cottonwoods, two feet or more in diameter. Beavers have 

 ah-eady fehed some of the largest trees in the vicinity^ and it is })rob- 

 able that others will soon follow. The limbs have been cut from 

 the felled trees at the trunk and carried off. To cut some of them 

 the animals had to climb along the trunk to a position 10 to 15 feet 

 above the ground. There are numerous beaver slides in the vicinity 

 of the dam, and these are well worn and cleanly brushed by the 

 leafy boughs that have been dragged down them. 



September 4, 1884, Fort Verde, Arizona. — To-day I shot a young 

 male beaver. Its stomach was nearly filled with the bark of the 

 Cottonwood. We had this young beaver served on our table, and 

 all who partook of it pronounced it to be excellent meat. 



September 12, 1884, Fort Verde, Arizona. — One young beaver was 

 seen swimming in the Verde River with only the nose and fore i;art 

 of the head out of water. It climbed out upon the opposite river 

 bank, where I obtained a good view of it. 



October 17, 1884, Gila River at the San Carlos Indian Agency. — 

 Beavers are abundant. I saw many cottonwoods cut down or 

 gnawed by them. 



October 25, 1884, Fossil Creek, Arizona. — Beavers are numerous on 

 this stream. While on this expedition (with General Crook) I saw 

 fresh signs of the beaver on White River, the Gila, Salt River, and 

 Tonto Creek, and old signs on Pine Creek, all in Arizona. 



January 17, 1885, Indian Garden, Oak Creek, Arizona. — Beavers 

 have cut many small saplings, but no large trees, along tliis stream. 



May IS, 1885, Gila and Salt rivers, near Phoenix, Arizona. — Tracks 

 and cuttings of the beaver were seen. 



June, 1885, Fort Verde, Arizona. — Early in June, when fishing for 

 bonytail (Gila) on a sluice of the Verde River, I accidentally stum- 

 bled upon a nest containing three young beavers, two of which I 

 took for specimens on another occasion (June 13). The nest was 

 contained in a hollow of the large decayed bole of ash trees that 

 grew out of a common base, and was com{)osed of stalks and leaves 

 of sedge, tule, and herbs, together with some dry leaves and fine 

 rootlets that had been washed bare by the stream. On this neat 

 and soft bed were the tlu'ee little ones. The mother dived into the 

 pool which had undermmed the trees along the jutting bank, but 

 soon came back to look after her progeny and was quite bold. On 

 subsequent visits to this nest I heard the s]:»lash of the parent when 

 I approached the spot, and the progeny followed her examjde as 

 soon as I reached them. The mother did not appear, but the 

 young ones swam freely around the pool in my presence. 



Jmie 19, 1885, Fossil Creels, Arizomi. — Beavers were seen in Fossil 

 Creek, central Arizona. 



