CHAP. X. SOCIABILITY OF BEAVERS. 289 



ness of their size, and the immensity of their numbers, 

 they present us with characters diametrically opposed 

 to those just mentioned. These remarks, however they 

 may appear somewhat disconnected with our present 

 subject,, are not strictly so ; they tend to explain, and 

 to account for, the remarkable fact of not more than 

 two perfect societies being yet found among the whole 

 of the vertebrated animals, while those in the insect 

 world are numerous, wonderful, and highly interesting. 

 (300.) Among QUADRUPEDS, the beaver may be 

 almost termed the only genus which gives us an ex- 

 ample of a perfect society. They unite in building a 

 common habitation, labouring in unison, aiding and 

 assisting each other in the carriage of the materials, and 

 minutely depositing, in one common storehouse, the 

 provisions gathered in summer, for the support of the 

 republic during the dreary and famishing season of 

 winter. As we shall have occasion to notice this in- 

 teresting animal in another part of our work, we must 

 confine ourselves, in this place, to a few particulars. 

 The American beaver, according both to Herne and 

 Richardson, is seldom found in societies exceeding 

 ten or twelve individuals, of which four are the pa- 

 triarchs. Their houses are so substantially built, that 

 they resist the cold even of an arctic winter, and the 

 walls are frequently from five to six feet in solid thick- 

 ness ; each contains several apartments, all of which 

 have their entrance from the water : but, besides these, 

 there are a number of hiding holes in reserve, to which 

 they retreat whenever any injury is offered to their 

 common habitation. The number of apartments in 

 one of these houses, examined by Herne, amounted to 

 a dozen ; and, two or three only of these excepted, 

 none of them had any communication with each other, 

 except by water. As there were beavers enough to 

 inhabit each apartment, it is more than probable that 

 each family knew their own, and always entered at 

 their own doors, without any further connection with 

 their neighbours than a friendly intercourse, and to 



