132 THE BEAVER. 



bed of boughs running round the back of the chamber. It is 

 thickly covered with dry grass and thin shavings of wood. 

 The whole of the interior is smooth, the ends of the timbers 

 and brushwood which project inwards being evenly gnawed 

 off. There are always two entrances — the one serving for 

 summer, and letting in the light ; while another sinks down at 

 a deeper angle, to enable the owners during winter to get 

 below the water. Beavers are especially clean animals, and 

 allow no rubbish to remain in their abode ; and as soon as 

 they have nibbled off the bark from the sticks, they carry 

 them outside, and place them on the roof of their hut, to 

 increase its thickness, or let them float down the stream. 



During the summer they are employed all day in ranging 

 the banks and cutting provisions for their winter consumption, 

 all their architectural occupations being carried on at night. 

 Their winter stock of food consists of short lengths of willow 

 and poplar, — the bark of which only, however, they eat. 

 These they sink with mud or stones in some quiet pool near 

 their lodge, and when required for food they dive down below 

 the ice and bring up as many as are required for family 

 consumption. Besides their lodge, they form in the neigh- 

 bourhood a long burrow sufficiently broad to enable them to 

 turn with ease. The entrance is at a considerable depth 

 below the surface of the water, and extends from ten to 

 twenty feet into the bank. This burrow serves as a safe 

 * retreat, should their house be broken into, and thither they 

 immediately fly when their permanent abode is attacked. In 

 summer they regale themselves on the roots of the yellow 

 lilies, as well as on other succulent vegetation, and any fruits 

 the country affords. 



But it is time that we should get a look at the curious 



