OF NATURjiL HISTORY. 31^ 



the banks of the river, and cut down fmaller trees, from the 

 fize of a man's leg to that of his thigh. Thefe they cut to a 

 certain length, drefs them into flakes, and fn-ft drag them 

 by land to the margin of the river, and then by water to the 

 place where the building is carrying on. Thefe piles they 

 iink down, and interweave the branches with the larger 

 flakes. In performing this operation many difficulties are 

 to be furmounted. In order to drefs thefe flakes, and to 

 put them in a fituation nearly perpendicular, fome of the 

 beavers mufl elevate, with their teeth, the thick ends againft 

 the margin of the river, or againfl the crofs tree, while oth- 

 ers plunge to the bottom, and dig holes with their fore-feet 

 to receive the points, that they may ftand on end. When 

 fome are labouring in this manner, others bring earth, which 

 they plafh with their feet, and beat firm with their tails. 

 They carry the earth in their mouths, and with their fore- 

 feet. They tranfport earth in fuch quantities, that they fill 

 with it all the intervals between the piles. Thefe piles con- 

 fifl of feveral rows of flakes, of equal height, all placed oppo- 

 site to each other, and extend from one bank of the river to 

 the other. The ftakes facing the under part of the river 

 are placed perpendicularly ; but thofe which are oppofed to 

 the ftream flope upward to fuftain the preffiire of the water ; 

 fo that the bank, which is ten or twelve feet wide at the 

 bafe, is reduced to two or three at the top. Near the top, 

 or thinnefl part of the bank, the beavers make two or three 

 Hoping holes, to allow the furface-water to efcape. Thefe 

 they enlarge or contrail in proportion as the river rifes or 

 falls J and, when any breaches are made in the bank by fud- 

 den or violent inundations, they know how to repair them 

 when the water fubfides. 



Hitherto all thefe operations were performed by the unit- 

 ed force and dexterity of the whole community. They now 

 feparate into fmaller focieties^ who build cabins or houfes. 



