108 THE BEAVER 



rudder to direct its motions in the water. It is the only 

 quadruped that has membranes between the toes on the ' 

 hind feet, and at the same time none on -the fore ones, 

 which it uses as hands in carrying food to the mouth. It 

 is the only one which, while it resembles a terrestrial ani- 

 mal in its foreparts, seems to approach the nature of an 

 aquatic being in its hind ones. 



The Beavers begin to assemble in the month of June 

 or July, in order to form a society, which is to continue for 

 the greatest part of the year. They arrive in numbers 

 from every side, and presently form a company of two or 

 three hundred. The place of meeting is commonly the 

 place where they fix their abode ; and this is always by 

 the side of some lake or river. If it be a lake in which 

 the waters are always upon a level, they dispense with 

 building a dam ; but if it be a running stream, which is 

 subject to floods and falls, they then set about building a 

 dam, or pier, that crosses the river, so as to form a dead 

 water in that part which lies above and below. This 

 dam, or pier, is often a hundred feet long, and ten or 

 twelve feet thick at the base. If we compare the great- 

 ness of the work with the power of the architect, (the 

 largest beavers weighing from fifty to sixty pounds, and, 

 in length being little more than three feet from the tip of 

 the snout to the insertion of the tail,) it will appear enor- 

 mous; but the solidity with which it is built is still more 

 astonishing than its size. The part of the river over which 

 this dam is usually built is where it is most shallow, and 

 where some great tree is found growing by the side of the 

 stream. This they pitch upon as proper for making the 

 principal part in their building ; and, though it is often 

 thicker than a man's body, they yet instantly set about 

 cutting it down. For this operation they have no other 

 instrument but their four incisive teeth, which soon lay it 

 level, and that also on the side they wish it to fall, which 

 is always across the stream. They then set about cutting 



