BEAVER. 



851 



were nasty ; and to what extent this may be the case 

 still, is also without our province. 



In consequence of these uses in the arts, the beaver 

 has been hunted with great assiduity ; and some idea 

 of the total quantity killed in all parts which beavers 

 inhabit may be obtained from the fact that, in the 

 year 1808, *here were 126,927 brought to this country 

 from Canada alone. 



Many stratagems are resorted to for the capture 

 of an animal so much in request, but we shall notice 

 these very briefly. 



The skin of the cub-beaver is more highly prized 

 than that of older animals, as being darker and more 

 glossy ; the winter season is preferred for capturing 

 them, on account of the superiority of their coat at 

 that time. There are various means employed in 

 taking them. One of the ways in which they are 

 captured is, by boring a number of holes in the ice, 

 when they are driven from their habitations, which 

 are then destroyed. They remain under water a 

 short time (as they are incapable of remaining in 

 that element for any very protracted period), then 

 by rising to the surface where the ice is broken, 

 they are easily taken. At these times many of them 

 retreat to the holes in the banks, where they lodge 

 in summer ; but these vaults are soon discovered by 

 experienced hunters, by striking on the ice with chisels, 

 and they select such spots for their openings as they 

 know will readily lead to the capture of their victims, 

 and they are seldom mistaken. Another way in 

 which they are taken is, to cut the ice both above 

 and below their dwellings, nets are then thrown across, 

 and the animals are driven from their abodes and 

 compelled to enter the nets. It is usual, in summer, 

 to take them in their houses, by what is called staking 

 them. To effect this purpose the hunters first make 

 an opening in the roof, in order to discover the exact 

 position of the angle, and having adapted a number of 

 stakes to the opening, so as to completely blockade it, 

 they cover in the top and leave the stakes on one 

 side ready for use. This done, they drive the beavers, 

 by means of dogs, from all parts of the pond or river ; 

 and when the affrighted and hunted animals have suc- 

 ceeded in reaching their homes, they again put up 

 their stakes before the door-way, take off the tempo- 

 rary covering from the roof, and either take them in 

 a living state or spear them in their habitations. 

 ' When they inhabit a sheet of water, which is merely 

 kept up by a dam, they are still more readily taken, 

 by letting off the water, and leaving their huts quite 

 dry. The gun is also sometimes, though not very 

 generally, used ; and log-traps, baited with poplar 

 sticks, are now and then made use of, to commit havoc 

 among them. 



The following account of a tame beaver was fur- 

 nished by its owner, Mr. Broderip, to Mr. Bennet of 

 the Zoological Society, when that gentleman drew 

 up his account of " The Gardens and Menagerie ;" 

 and we have quoted it because Mr. Bennet's work 

 is not so much known to the public as its merits 

 deserve : 



" The animal arrived in this country in the winter 

 of 1825, very young, being very small and woolly, 

 and without the covering of long hair which marks 

 the adult beaver. It was the sole survivor of five 

 or six, which were shipped at the same time, and it 

 was in a very pitiable condition. Good treatment 

 quickly restored it to health, and kindness soon made 

 it familiar. When called by its name, " Binny," it 



generally answered with a little cry, and came to its 

 owner. The hearth-rug was its favourite haunt, and 

 thereon it would lie stretched out, sometimes on its 

 back, sometimes on its side, and sometimes flat on its 

 belly, but always near its master. The building 

 instinct showed itself immediately it was let out of its 

 cage, and materials were placed in its way ; and this 

 before it had been a week in its new quarters. Its 

 strength, even before it was half-grown, was great. 

 It would drag along a large sweeping-brush, or a 

 warming-pan, grasping the handle with its teeth, so 

 that the load came over its shoulder, and advancing 

 in an oblique direction till it arrived at the point 

 where it wished to place it. The long and large ma- 

 terials were always taken first, and two of the longest 

 were generally laid cross-wise, with one of the ends 

 of each touching the wall, and the other ends pro- 

 jecting out into the room. The area formed by the 

 crossed brushes and the wall he would fill up with 

 hand brushes, rush baskets, books, boots, sticks, cloths, 

 dried turf, or any thing portable. As the work 

 grew high, he supported himself on his tail, which 

 propped him up admirably, and he would often after 

 laying on one of his building materials, sit up over 

 against it, appearing to consider his work, or, as the 

 country people say, 'judge it.' This was sometimes 

 followed by changing the position of the material 

 'judged,' and sometimes it was left in its place. 

 After he had piled up his materials in one part of the 

 room (for he generally chose the same place), he pro- 

 ceeded to wall up the space between the feet of 

 a chest of drawers which stood at a little distance 

 from it, high enough on its legs to make the bottom 

 a roof for him ; using for this purpose dried turf and 

 sticks, which he laid very even, and filling up the 

 interstices with bits of coal, hay, cloth, or any thing 

 he could pick up. This last place he seemed to appro- 

 priate for his dwelling: the former work seemed to 

 be intended for a dam. When he had walled up the 

 space between the feet of the chest of drawers, he 

 proceeded to carry in sticks, cloths, hay, cotton, 

 and to make a nest ; and when he had done he would 

 sit up under the drawers and comb himself with the 

 nails of his hind feet. In this operation, that which 

 appeared at first to be a mal-formation was shown 

 to be a beautiful adaptation to the necessities of 

 the animal. The huge webbed hind feet of the beaver 

 turn in so as to give the appearance of deformity, but 

 if the toes were straight, instead of being incurved, 

 the animal could not use them for the purpose of 

 keeping its fur in order, and cleansing it from dirt 

 and moisture. 



" Binny generally carried small and light articles 

 between his right fore-leg and his chin, walking on 

 the other three legs ; and large masses, which he 

 could not grasp readily with his teeth, he pushed 

 forwards, leaning against them with his right fore- 

 paw and his chin. He never carried any thing on 

 his tail, which he liked to dip in water, but he was 

 not fond of plunging in the whole of his body. If 

 his tail was kept moist, he never cared to drink ; but 

 if it was kept dry, it became hot, and the animal 

 appeared distressed, and would drink a great deal. 

 It is not impossible that the tail may have the power 

 of absorbing water, like the skin of frogs, though it 

 must be owned that the scaly integuments which 

 invests that member has not much of the character 

 which generally belongs to absorbing surfaces. 



' Bread, and bread-and-milk and sugar, formed 



