entirely exterminated them .over vast areas where the natural 

 conditions for their existence are as favorable today as they 

 ever were. The original beaver population of North America 

 must have been at least 50,000,000, and it may have been con- 

 siderably larger. It is not likely that there are now more than 

 500,000 beaver living in the whole of North America. 



Habits. 



Beaver are essentially nocturnal and are not often seen 

 except toward evening, but I have seen a few at noon. Their 

 keenest sense is that of smell. Their hearing seems less 

 acute than that of muskrats and their sight seems rather poor. 

 They do not hibernate, but during winter remain awake in 

 their houses and burrows, and feed on the bark of poplar and 

 birch, which they pickled in the cold water near their houses. 



Intelligence. 



There can be no question but that in their own sphere and 

 element, beaver show a remarkable intelligence. But this 

 intelligence is largely crystallized, so to speak, into instinct, 

 and they do not readily grasp new conditions and situations. 

 In this respect they rank below wolves and foxes. Their 

 works, which seem at first sight the expression of a remark- 

 able intelligence, should perhaps, be more truly interpreted 

 as the result of a marvelous adaptation of environment. 



Summary. 



The experiment of re-stocking the Itasca forest with beaver 

 has been a complete success and shows that beaver could 

 easily be introduced again in any region naturally favorable 

 for their existence. All the care they need is protection from 

 poachers. 



Itasca park is an almost ideal preserve for deer and all 

 kinds of small game and wild birds. The present law which 

 forbids hunting and trapping at all times in the park, and 

 within the half-mile limit outside of the park, is a wise meas- 

 ure and should be rigidly enforced. 



