AMPHIBIOUS QUADRUPEDS. 



Far from attacking any other animal, it is scarcely 

 possessed of the arts of defence. Preferring 

 flight to combat, like all wild animals, it only re- 

 sists when driven to an extremity, and fights only 

 when its speed can no longer avail. 



But this animal is rather more remarkable for 

 the singularity of its conformation, than any in- 

 tellectual superiorities it may be supposed in a 

 state of solitude to possess. The beaver is the 

 only creature among quadrupeds that has a flat 

 broad tail, covered with scales, which serves as a 

 rudder to direct its motions in the water. It is 

 the sole quadruped that has membranes between 

 the toes on the hind-feet only, and none on the 

 fore-feet, which supply the place of hands as in 

 the squirrel. In short, it is the only animal that 

 in its fore parts entirely resembles a quadruped, 

 and in its hinder parts seems to approach the na- 

 ture of fishes, by having a scaly tail. In other 

 respects, it is about two feet long, and near one 

 foot high ; it is somewhat shaped like a rat, ex- 

 cept the tail, which, as has been observed, is flat 

 and scaly, somewhat resembling a neat's tongue 

 at the point. Its colour is of a light brown : the 

 hair of two sorts ; the one longer and coarser ; 

 the other, soft, fine, short, and silky. The teeth 

 are like those of a rat or a squirrel, but longer 

 and stronger, and admirably adapted to cutting 

 timber or stripping bark, to which purposes they 

 are constantly applied. One singularity more 

 may be mentioned in its conformation, which is, 

 that, like birds, it has but one and the same vent 

 for the emission of its excrements and its urine ; 



