FOOD OF THE BEAVER IN NORWAY. 75 



offenders that were put to " hard labour" as a punish- 

 ment for misdemeanours against the community. The 

 beaver was once called in Norway erke-bygmester, or 

 arch-master-builder, on account of its constructive ta- 

 lents. 



In summer the Norwegian beaver feeds on green 

 herbs and plants that grow near the water ; in autumn 

 it eats the numerous kinds of wild berries that are so 

 plentiful in this country ; in winter the food consists 

 of the outer bark of the willow, birch, and poplar. 

 The female brings forth two or three young ones in the 

 early part of summer. At this interesting time, the 

 male ungallantly leaves his wife, and only pays her an 

 occasional visit during the whole time the young are 

 with her. 



In Norway the beaver makes its habitation close to 

 a running stream, and rather lower than the water. 

 The dwelling is divided into three compartments, and 

 the male and female reside in separate chambers ; 

 these compartments are divided by slight partitions, 

 which serve, doubtless, to prop up the entire edifice. 

 The building materials consist of branches of birch, 

 willow, and poplar, as well as of mortar made of mud 

 and mixed with stones. In process of time the 

 branches of which the habitations are constructed 

 throw out shoots and leaves ; the herbage around, 

 also, grows ; and the beaver- dwellings become con- 

 cealed, and are not easily discovered. It is evident that 

 this industrious little creature was once very common in 

 Norway, for we are told that its fur was an article of 

 considerable trade at the ancient Norwegian fair of El- 

 verum. The castoreum, anciently called in Norway bi- 

 bergeilj is a secretion contained in two small glandular 



