BEAVER. 171 



which can be made to fall into the river, they begin, by cut- 

 ting it down, to form the principal basis of their work This 

 tree is often thicker than a man's body. By gnawing it at 

 the bottom with their four cutting teeth, they in a short time 

 accomplish their purpose, and always make the tree fall 

 across the river. They next cut the branches from the trunk 

 to make it lie level. These operations are performed by the 

 joint industry of the whole community. Some of them, at 

 the same time, traverse the banks of the river, and cut down 

 smaller trees, from the size of a man's leg to that of his thigh. 

 These they cut to a certain length, dress them into stakes, 

 and first drag them by land to the margin of the river, and 

 then by water to the place where the building is carrying on. 

 These piles they sink down, and interweave the branches 

 with the larger stakes. In performing this operation, many 

 difficulties are to be surmounted. In order to dress these 

 stakes, and to put them in a situation nearly perpendicular, 

 some of the beavers must elevate, with their teeth, the thick 

 ends against the margin of the river, or against the cross tree, 

 while others plunge to the bottom, and dig holes with their 

 fore feet to receive the points, that they may stand on end. 

 When some are laboring in this manner, others bring earth 

 in their mouths and with their fore feet, and transport it in 

 such quantities, that they fill with it all the intervals between 

 the piles. These piles consist of several rows of stakes of 

 equal height, all placed opposite to each other, and extend 

 from one bank 6f the river to the other. The stakes facing 

 the lower part of the river are placed perpendicularly ; but 

 those which are opposed to the stream slope upward, to sus- 

 tain the pressure of the water; so that the bank, which is ten 

 or twelve feet wide at the base, is reduced to two or three at 

 xhe top. Near the top, or thinnest part of the bank, the bea- 

 vers make two or three sloping holes, to allow the surface 

 water to escape. These they enlarge or contract in propor- 

 tion as the river rises or falls ; and when any breaches are 

 made in the bank by sudden or violent inundations, they 

 know how to repair them when the water subsides. 



Hitherto all these operations were performed by the united 

 force and dexterity of the whole community. They now 

 separate into smaller societies, which build cabins or houses. 

 These cabins are constructed upon piles near the margin of 

 the river or pond, and have two openings, one for the animals 

 going to the land, and the other for throwing themselves into 

 the water. The form of these edifices is either round or 



