296 



KNOWLEDGE 



[December 1, 1897. 



to the lodge, but no atore of stripped bark ia collected. 

 Most of the treea felled are situated close to the water, 

 with beaten tracks leading to them from the lodge, but 

 occasionally some are chosen a considerable distance away 

 from the river. The trees are gnawed all round until the 

 portion left is so thin that the stem breaks from its own 

 weight ; the stump remaining being generally about half 

 a yard in length, and terminating in a point like a pancil, 

 as does the lower end of the felled stem. Small trunks or 

 branches are, however, gnawed in a slanting direction. 

 Only healthy treea are selected for felling, and sometimes 

 these are left half gnawed through without any apparent 

 reason. No attempt appears to be mide to make the 

 trees fall in any particular direction, as they may be seen 

 lying pointing all ways. The trunks and boughs, after 

 being stripped of their bark, are cut into convenient 

 lengths and employed for building, the current being used 

 for their transport whenever practicable. Many lodges 



lodges are invariably formed on the banks of a river with 

 running water subject to constant change of level. Although 

 the majority are considerably smaller, they may be as 

 much as fifty feet in length ; the width seldom exceeding 

 eight or nine feet. One half generally lies under water, and 

 thus prevents the edifice from being left high and dry 

 when the river runs low. The main entrance is invariably 

 placed at the end of the submerged portion, but another 

 outlet may be made on shore beyond the lodge itself, and 

 ia then generally covered with a layer of twigs, or twigs 

 and earth. As a rule, the lodges are isolated, although a 

 couple may ba built ia contact. Seen from a distance the 

 lodge looks like a confused pile of timbar and earth, with- 

 out any definite arrangement. The logs employed are 

 usually from a couple of feet to a yard in length, although 

 they may sometimes be double this size ; twigs are also 

 largely used, and sometimes take root and develop into 

 saplings on the roofs. Stones are but seldom employed. 



Young Beaviiv^, llirci; wot-ks old, from the Lodge iil Fladen, Norway. 

 (Fi'om ** BEBvewn i Norsfe," by R. Collett.) 



are, however, constructed in still water, and the animals 

 are then compelled to convey the timber by their own 

 exertions ; this being effected by holding the log in the 

 water between the fore paws, and swimming with the 

 huid feet. 



The construction of the lodge is a serious business, 

 occupying at least two years ; and annual repairs are 

 necessary to keep it in a habitable condition. Building 

 operations take place in the autumn, lasting from Sep- 

 tember till well into November ; and as they are nearly 

 always undertaken at night, it is but seldom that an 

 opportunity occurs of seeing the animals at work. In 

 Norway the lodges are either conical or elliptical in shape, 

 the majority being now of the latter type. The conical 

 lodges, which appear to have been more common formerly 

 than they are at present, are placed on the banks of ponds 

 in which the water level is constant, such ponds being 

 either natural or made by the animals damming up the 

 stream. On the other band, the elliptical or elongated 



Many of the logs are stripped of their bark, but others are 

 built in just as they are felled ; and not unfrequently drift 

 logs of pine and other trees which are men -felled are 

 annexed. The logs and twigs are thrown together pell- 

 mell, and the interstices tightly rammed with earth, the 

 thickness of the walls being about a couple of feet. The 

 passage leading from the submerged edge of the lodge to 

 the central dwelling chamber is usually single, and about 

 twenty inches in diameter ; its interior, when in clayey 

 soil, becoming worn perfectly smooth. 



A double lodge opened by Mr. Collett in 1895 is de- 

 scribed by him as follows: — "The left or short lodge 

 contained an unoccupied chamber without lining. The 

 right, which was long and of considerable age, extended 

 for some way under an oak coppice. The chamber in this 

 was situated about six yards from the water, half a yard 

 underground, and consisted of an enlargement of the 

 passage to about three-quarters of a yard in height." It 

 was thickly lined with the under bark of the aspen. 



