REBUILDING A BEAVER COLONY 139 



the side of the house, or bank of the pond, or 

 on a log or boulder that is above the surface of 

 the pond. If enemy appear the beaver in a 

 second dives to safety. For the winter meal 

 the beaver goes through the inclined tunnel 

 from the house into the water. At the food pile 

 he cuts off a short section of one of the aspens, 

 takes this up into the house, and sits on the 

 floor, which is above water level, to eat the bark. 



Two hundred and eight aspens were cut in 

 the grove, dragged to the canal, floated down 

 this and finally deposited in the pond. This 

 made a large food supply for the winter. A 

 little more than one half these were used, and 

 the number of colonists fed probably was nine. 



Each spring beavers come out of winter quar- 

 ters as early as possible and at once begin to use 

 fresh food. If any of the winter food harvest 

 remains canned in the water this is thrown out 

 next autumn and used in dam and house repairs. 



Many old beaver colonies have a den in 

 addition to the house, and others have a tunnel 

 under the pond that comes out on shore some 

 distance beyond the shoreline. This tunnel 

 is sometimes used in winter while the pond is 

 frozen over. But these new settlers were with- 

 out tunnel or den. 



These beaver pioneers had founded a new 

 home before winter came. The house was 



