282 RODENTIA. 



by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1670; other skins being 

 taken upon the basis of their relative value to the Beaver. 



Guns Twelve winter beaver skins for the largest 



Guns Ten winter beaver skins for the smallest 



Powder One Beaver for 1/2 Ib. 



Shot One Beaver for 4 Ibs. 



Hatchets One Beaver for a great and little one. 



Knives . . One Beaver for 8 great knives and 8 jack knives. 



Beads One Beaver for % Ib. of beads. 



Laced Coats Six Beavers for one 



Plain Coats Five Beavers for one plain red coat. 



Coats for women, laced, 2 yards Six Beavers. 



Coats for women, plain Five Beavers. 



Tobacco One Beaver for one pound. 



Powder-horn .... One Beaver for a large powder horn 



and two small ones. 



Kettles One Beaver Skin for a 1 Ib. kettle. 



Looking glass and comb Two Beaver Skins. 



It is said, that in the early days, the fur traders in re- 

 mote regions where they had no competition would stand 

 a gun on end on the floor, and hold it in that position, 

 while the Indians laid one Beaver on top of the other, 

 until the pile received in exchange for the weapon was 

 as high as the length of the gun,, but we can find no one 

 to vouch for the truth of this statement. 



The Beaver is not prized alone for its skin value. The 

 castorium, a secretion resembling sealing wax, found in 

 two glands situated in the hinder part of the body of 

 both the male and female of this species, also has a com- 

 mercial value; thousands of pounds being sold annually. 

 The flesh of the animal is good eating; the tail of the 

 Beaver being considered the greatest delicacy on the 

 board at the banquets of the old fur-trading companies. 



Mention has been made of the double claw on the 

 hind foot of the Beaver. The simply statement unex- 

 plained is misleading, as it naturally suggests to the mind 

 a split claw, or two similar claws one above the other. 

 By referring to the accompanying cuts the reader will 

 see, that while the upper claw on the next to the last 

 toe on the hind foot is smaller, it is otherwise like the 

 claws on the other toes. The claw beneath it and 

 which it protects is a thin blade, shaped at the end like 



