142 Instinct. 



properly distributed, among such a scrambling mul- 

 titude of young, is a mystery. 



As a farther illustration of the advantage to the 

 individual, from the community, we have animals 

 that build together and enter upon extensive works 

 for the common good. The Beaver is generally con- 

 sidered as the best example of animals of this kind, 

 — at least among the vertebrates. There is hardly 

 an animal on the globe that offers more curious 

 instinctive habits for study ; and hardly one that 

 has been more misrepresented in our popular works. 

 The wonderful instincts of the Beaver, make up an 

 interesting part of those story books where fact and 

 fiction are mingled together ; though the facts, if 

 fully stated, would be more wonderful than any 

 fiction. 



The world is indebted to Mr. Lewis H. Morgan, 

 of New York, for a work on the Beaver, that is a 

 model for all to study, who would investigate the 

 habits of any animal. He has swept away a mass 

 of rubbish that we used to be taught ; and has sub- 

 stituted in its place the plain facts gathered by 

 years of personal observation among Beaver-dams 

 and lodges. He not only describes what he has 

 seen, but he brings before us copies of Beavers' 

 works, by photographing them as they are found. 



His facts are reliable — his speculations based 

 upon those facts may, of course, be accepted or re- 

 jected by any one, according to his estimate of the 

 proof presented to establish each point. 



Mr. Morgan grants that the Beaver is a social 

 animal, but he denies that Beavers work as organ- 



