WESTBOTIILAND. 89 



I wonder no naturalist has classed this 

 animal with the Mouse tribe, (Mures. Lin- 

 naeus afterwards called the Order G lires,) 

 as its broad depressed form at first sight 

 suggested to me that it was of that family ; 

 in which opinion I was confirmed when I 

 examined the broad naked tail, the short 

 obtuse ears, and the two pair of parallel 

 front teeth, so well formed for cutting, of 

 which the lower pair are the largest. 



The people here eat the flesh of the 

 beaver as well as of the hare and squirrel, 

 which indeed are all of the same natural 

 family. The Romans, we are told, ate 

 mice by way of a choice dainty. The 

 beaver is very seldom roasted, but gene- 

 rally boiled. The rump is thrown away, 

 but the feet are eaten. The skin spread 

 out and dried is worth twelve dollars. The 

 castor fetches half a dollar, or sometimes 

 a dollar. I found the boiled flesh very in- 

 sipid, for want of salt. 



This young Beaver, which fell under my 

 examination, was a foot and half long, ex- 



