The Beav&r. 89 



Beavers in each house is from two to four old ones, 

 and about twice as many young. When Beavers form a 

 new settlement, they build their houses in the summer ; 

 and then lay in their winter provisions, which consist 

 principally of bark and the tender branches of trees, cut 

 into certain lengths, and piled in heaps on the outside 

 of their habitation, and always under the water ; though 

 sometimes the heap is so large as to rise above the 

 surface. One of these heaps will occasionally contain 

 more than a cart-load of bark, young wood, and the 

 roots of the water-lily. 



Beavers are hunted for the sake of their skins, which 

 are covered with long hairs, and a short thick fur be- 

 neath, which is used in making hats, after the long hairs 

 have been destroyed. 



A great many stories have long been believed respect- 

 ing the Beaver, on the authority of a French gentleman 

 who had resided a long time in North America; but 

 it is now ascertained that the greater part of them are 

 false. The house of the Beaver is not divided into 

 rooms, but consists of only one apartment; and the 

 animals do not use their tails either as a trowel or a 

 sledge, but only as an assistance in swimming. Some 

 years ago a Beaver was brought to this country from 

 America, that had been quite tamed by the sailors, and 

 was called Bunney. When he arrived in England, he 

 was made quite a pet of, and used to lie on the hearth- 

 rug in his master's library. One day he found out the 

 housemaid's closet, and his building propensities began 

 immediately to display themselves. He seized a large 

 sweeping brush, and dragged it along with his teeth to 

 a room where he found the door open: he afterwards 

 laid hold of a warming-pan in the same manner ; and 

 having laid the handles across, he filled up the walls of 

 the angle made by the brushes with the wall, with 

 hand-brushes, baskets, boots, books, towels, and any- 

 thing he could lay hold of. As his walls grew high, he 

 would often sit propped up by his tail (with which 

 he supported himself admirably), to lojk at what he 

 had done ; and if the disposition of any of his building 

 materials did not satisfy him, he would pull part of his 



