THE BEAVER 



(Castor fiber) 



WITH the exception of the Capybara of South America, presently to 

 be noticed, the Beaver is the largest of the Rodents, and in some respects 

 a good type of that order of beasts, notably in its short deep muzzle, 

 in the large size of the hind-limbs as compared with the fore, and in 

 the teeth, which, as in Rodents generally, are remarkable for the com- 

 plete absence of canines and the presence in each jaw of two huge chisel- 

 tipped, continually-growing incisors, with which the gnawing is effected. 

 These teeth are kept sharp by being faced with enamel only on the fronts, 

 so that they wear away more from behind, keeping the anterior portion 

 at an edge. The grinders are broad and flat, adapted for the chewing 

 of vegetable food. The structure of the feet, in which the front pair 

 are small and practically unwebbed, and the hind pair large and fully 

 webbed, is similar to that found in several other aquatic rodents, and 

 the number of toes, five on each foot, is usual in the Rodent order ; but 

 the Beaver has a remarkable peculiarity in possessing a double claw 

 on the second toe of the hind-foot, which is used for scratching or 

 combing the fur. 



The tail is also quite a peculiarity of the Beavers, no other beast 

 having a similar one. It is broad and flat, and oval in form, hairy 

 only at the root, and covered for the rest of its surface with a scaly- 

 looking skin. It is of considerable use in swimming, especially in helping 

 the animal to rise for air, and in sending him down for a dive, when 

 the loud smack it makes warns all other Beavers for some distance. The 

 ordinary agents in swimming are, however, the webbed hind-feet, the 

 fore-feet being tucked up and not used at all in the water. As in the 

 case of so many aquatic animals, the Beaver's fur is of two kinds, the 

 long coarse hair which alone shows on the surface, and the soft close 

 under-coat, which is the fur for which the animal is famous. The 



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2 A 



