TEE BE AVER. 361 



them to dive and defy pursuit. 2ndly. As a protection 

 from the frosts of winter, which would freeze shallow 

 water to the bottom. 3rdly. To equalize the height of the 

 water throughout the year, and prevent their beds from 

 being flooded. 4thly. To enable them to haul wood with 

 greater ease. In addition to these, I really believe that 

 beavers like dam-building for the amusement it affords 

 them. I am aware that in this opinion I differ from other 

 writers. But, if they are right, how is it that on lakes 

 having streams running into or from them, such streams 

 are invariably dammed by the beavers of the lake ? At 

 the head of a lake 2 or 3 miles in circumference I have 

 seen a beaver house ; at the outlet of the same lake, a mile 

 off, a dam built and kept in perfect repair by the beavers. 

 Now I cannot see what use this could have been ; it would 

 scarcely raise the level of the water as many inches as the 

 lake was fathoms in depth. 



On the Miramichi, New Brunswick, I found a small 

 brook a rapid stream with a great fall. One family of 

 eight or ten beavers lived on it, and in the course of little 

 more than half a mile they had constructed no less than 

 thirteen dams, each about 3 feet high. The effect of this 

 in winter time was curious enough ; the ponds, frozen over 

 and covered with snow, formed a series of tolerably regular 

 steps or terraces. 



In some work on natural history I have seen it stated 

 that the female beaver has from six to eight cubs in a litter. 

 I believe this to be an error. Five is the greatest number 

 I have ever seen or heard of. The ordinary litter is three 

 or four. They lie up in May, and the young females do not 



