TJie Home of the Wolverene and Beaver. 63 



regions — La Houtan, Charlevoix, Theodut, Ellis, 

 Bcltrani, and Cartwright. These last excited the 

 enthusiasm of Buffon, whose romantic stories have 

 so fastened themselves on the mind of childhood, 

 and have been so generally made a part of our 

 education, that we now are almost led to regret 

 that three-fourths of the old accounts of this extra- 

 ordinary animal are fabulous ; and that, with the 

 exception of its very peculiar mode of constructing 

 its domicile, the beaver is, in point of intelligence 

 and cunning, greatly exceeded by the fox, and is 

 but a few grades higher in the scale of sagacity 

 than the common musk-rat." 



So says Audubon, a good authority, for he is a 

 native of the same land as the beaver, and devoted 

 much time and labour to ascertain its true habits, 

 but none the less it seems hard to have one's pet 

 belief so ruthlessly demolished. 



This animal is a native of both Europe and Asia, 

 but is far more plentiful in North America, from 

 which country •we have received the most trust- 

 worthy and accurate accounts of its habits. Beavers 

 are gregarious, that is to say, they associate in 

 greater or lesser numbers, and unite their strength 

 for the furtherance of any work necessary to the 

 well-being of the whole amphibious community. 

 But before proceeding further it may be advisable to 



