827 NATURAL HISTORY. 



into the quarries under the Royal Garden : there he 

 swam to a considerable distance on the stagnated wa- 

 ters which are at the bottom of those quarries ; yet 

 no sooner did he see the light of the torches which 

 were ordered down for the purpose of finding him, 

 than he returned, and allowed himself to be taken 

 without the smallest resistance. 



He is familiar without being fawning ; and when 

 he sees people at table, he is sure to ask something to 

 eat. This he does by a little plaintive cry, and by a 

 few gestures of his fore paws. When he has obtain- 

 ed a morsel, he carries it away, and conceals himself, 

 in order to eat it at his ease. When he sleep.*, \vhicU 

 he does very often, he lies upon his belly. No food 

 comes amiss to him, meat excepted ; and this he con- 

 stantly refuses either raw or boiled. He gnaws every 

 thing he comes near ; and it was found necessary to 

 line with tin the tun in which he was brought over. 



Besides the fur, which is indeed the most valuable 

 article furnished by the beaver, this animal furnishes 

 a substance that has been considerably used in medi- 

 cine. This substance which is known by the name 

 of castoreum, is contained in two bladders*. The sa- 

 vages are said to obtain an oil from the tail of the 

 beaver, which they employ as a topical remedy for dif- 

 ferent complaints. The flesh of this animal, though 

 fat and delicate, is yet bitter, and disagreeable to the 

 palate. 



The senses of the beaver are very acute ; and so 

 delicate is its smell, that it will suffer no filth to re- 

 main near it. Wiien kept too long in confinement, and 



