88 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Dispersion of a colony. 



noise they made again roused the beavers, which 

 seemed much disturbed by these exertions ; and 

 one of them in particular was observed several 

 times to come pretty near the labourers, as if to 

 examine what passed. As M. Du Pratz appre- 

 hended they might run into the woods, if farther 

 disturbed, he again retired with his companion 

 to their place of concealment. 



" One of the beavers then ventured," continues 

 our author, " to go upon the breach, after hav- 

 ing several times approached and returned like a 

 spy. He surveyed the place ; and then struck 

 four blows, as he did the preceding evening, with 

 his tail. One of those that were going to work 

 passed close by me; and as I wanted a specimen 

 to examine, I shot him. The noise of the gun 

 made them all scamper off with greater speed 

 than a hundred blows of the tail of their overseer 

 could have done." By firing at them several 

 times afterwards, they were compelled to run 

 precipitately into the woods ; leaving their dis- 

 turbers at liberty to examine their houses. 



These habitations were made by posts fixed, 

 slanting upwards to a point; and in the middle 

 was the floor, resting firmly on notches in the 

 post ; and under one of them were fifteen pieces 

 of wood, with the bark gnawed off, apparently 

 designed for food. 



The skin of the beaver has hair of two kinds: 

 the lower, immediately next to the hide, is short, 

 implicated together, and as fine as down; the 



