THE MARQUIS OF BUTE'S COLONY 39 



wooded ground, through which runs a stream, 

 was fenced in, and in 1875 the first beavers 

 placed in it. For many years the colony 

 increased and throve. A very interesting 

 account of this experiment was published by 

 their keeper in 1880, and is reproduced in full 

 in Mr. Harting's work mentioned above. 

 Enquiry recently made has brought the infor- 

 mation that the beavers did very well for a time 

 in semi-captivity, but having been, perhaps, 

 somewhat neglected, died out about eighteen 

 years ago. A correspondent who was intimately 

 acquainted with the whole course of the experi- 

 ment writes that the first beavers arrived in 

 January, 1875 J that the keeper who had charge 

 of them is now dead, but the writer remembers 

 that they seemed to die out one by one, and 

 feels sure that they were all dead long before it 

 was known, as it was always very difficult to 

 see them at work. He mentions that they did 

 wonderful work in plastering the breast-wall of 

 their dam in the stream to keep the water from 

 getting through. Willow, ash, and elm were 

 their favourite trees ; they liked clean bark, and 

 they cut a few larch and Scotch fir, but not 

 many. 



It would be interesting if some of our Scottish 

 proprietors were to try this experiment again. 



