BEAVER 



641 



BEAVER 



to the woodman, for with their aid trees of 

 considerable size are felled. 



Life and Habits. The favorite haunts of 

 beavers are forest-bordered rivers, lakes and 

 streams. Though they occasionally live singly, 

 or in pairs, beavers are sociable creatures and 

 usually live in colonies. Their homes are sub- 

 stantial, cleverly-built structures made of 

 branches of trees plastered with mud, grasses 

 and other materials. These dwellings are built 

 in the water, or on the water's edge, and are 

 ' lodges. Sometimes they are 

 three feet high and seven feet across. The 



at last with a tremble, then a lurch, the tree 

 crashes to the ground. Then again must the 

 gnawing go on. Branches and twigs are 

 removed, the trunks are cut into the desired 

 lengths and the logs are then dragged to the 

 water. Logs, stones, twigs and earth are then 

 cunningly fashioned into a substantial dam- 

 straight across if the stream flows gently, but 

 in a curve facing up-stream if the stream is 

 rapid, so the structure will withstand the cur- 

 rent. Both lodge and dam are masterpieces 

 of animal-skill. Some authorities claim that 

 beavers are so intelligent that they always 



THE BUSY BEAVER 



walls are substantial enough to afford protec- 

 tion against the cold of winter as well as 

 against the average beast of prey. There are 

 two rooms, and always two entrances, both 

 leading into the water. The lower room is 

 used for storage of food, the upper one as the 

 living room. The upper chamber is dry, and 

 air is supplied through an opening at the top. 

 opening. h<>\\. \er, is concealed by a mass 

 of MI< k- \\lurli the beaver carefully arranges. 

 If tin- chosen stream is not very deep, a dam 

 must then be built to form a pond about the 

 .", to insure continuous entrance through 

 water in spite of summer's drought or winter's 

 ice and snow. / 



Systematically and steadily the work of 

 home-lniildmg and tin- making of dams goes 

 forward. When the home site has been chosen, 

 the entire colony, young and old, busy them- 

 selves at felling trees. Deep grooves are 

 gnnv ! tin- trunk* of the trees. Chip 



by chij> the wood is ripped out by means of 

 tin chisel-like teeth. The work goes on until 

 41 



fell their trees to fall toward the water, so 

 they will not have to drag them far. It is 

 not uncommon to find trees two feet in diam- 

 etar which have been cut down by beavers. 



When the homes have been made and care- 

 fully protected, the beavers spend a care-free 

 summer living on twigs and bark and roots of 

 water plants. With the approach of autumn, 

 once again they busy themselves repairing their 

 dams, if necessary, and gathering their winter 

 store of willow, poplar, birch and alder bark. 

 For, winter-long, when the pond is froien 

 over, they cannot go to the land and must li\ 

 only on their store and on roots which they 

 dig from the water. The breeding season of 

 beavers commences in spring in April or May. 

 Two to four young ones appear at a birth, and 

 they remain with their parents two years. In 

 third year they venture forth, mate and 

 start new generations and new colonies. 



Among animals, beavers hold the same posi- 

 tion that the bees and ants have among in- 

 sects, in their remarkable instinct of working in 



