160 Trails to Woods and Waters 



The dam building instinct of the beaver is 

 one of the most remarkable instincts in the 

 animal kingdom. 



It enables its possessors to build dams of 

 wonderful symmetry and size ; structures that 

 it would seem impossible for such small crea- 

 tures to build. 



The beaver's dam is built for protection, to 

 make a little Venice where he shall be secure 

 from his enemies. Just as the feudal lords 

 of old surrounded their castles with moats, he 

 surrounds his lodge with a broad lake, so that 

 his enemies cannot get at him as easily as they 

 otherwise would. The entrance to his house 

 is always under water, and to protect himself 

 against low water, which would sometimes be 

 felt in a stream, he dams the stream, and 

 thus makes sure of keeping the water above 

 his underground passage. The lake also 

 serves as a place of storage for the beaver's 

 great supply of wood, which is his food in 

 winter. If it were not for his dam, the 

 wood would probably be swept down- 

 stream, and the beaver, who is locked under 



