3n 



of the beaver's senses. Next to this, that of hear- 

 ing appears to be the most informational. The 

 eyes are weak. The hind feet are large and 

 webbed, and resemble those of a goose. The sec- 

 ond claw of each hind foot is double, and is used 

 in combing the fur and in dislodging the parasites 

 from the skin. The fore paws of the beaver are 

 handlike, and have long, strong claws. They are 

 used very much after the fashion in which mon- 

 keys use their hands, and serve a number of 

 purposes. 



The color of the beaver is a reddish brown, 

 sometimes shading into a very dark brown. Oc- 

 casional specimens are white or black. The 

 beaver is not a handsome animal, and when in 

 action on the land he is awkward. The black 

 skin which covers his tail appears to be covered 

 with scales; the skin merely has this form and 

 appearance, the scales do not exist. The tail 

 somewhat resembles the end of an oar. 



The all-important tools of this workman are 



his four orange - colored front teeth. These are 



edge-tools that are adaptable and self-sharpening. 



They are set in strong jaws and operated by 



8 



