254* AMPHIBIOUS QUADRUPEDS. 



a strange peculiarity, but which anatomists leave 

 us no room to doubt of. 



The beavers begin to assemble about the 

 months of June and July, to form a society that 

 is to continue for the greatest part of the year. 

 They arrive in numbers from every side, and ge- 

 nerally form a company of above two 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 run- 

 ning stream, which is subject to floods and falls, 

 they then set about building a dam, or pier, that 

 crosses the river, so that it forms a dead water 

 in that part which lies above and below. This 

 dam, or pier, is often fourscore or a hundred feet 

 long, and ten or twelve feet thick at the base. 

 If we compare the greatness of the work with the 

 powers of the architect, it will appear enormous ; 

 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 princi- 

 pal part in their building ; and although it is 

 often thicker than a man's body, they instantly 

 set about cutting it down. For this operation 

 they have no other instrument but their 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 fall about cutting off the top 



