CASTOR FIBER. 



mistaken for the common muskrat. But the greater size of 

 the beaver, the thickness and breadth of its head, and its 

 horizontally flattened, broad, and scaly tail, render it impos- 

 sible to mistake it for any other creature when closely exam- 

 ined. In its movements, both on shore and in the water, it 

 also closely resembles the muskrat, having the same quick 

 step, and swimming with great vigor and celerity, either on 

 the surface or in the depths of the water. 



In a state of captivity or insulation, the beaver is a quiet 

 or rather stupid animal, evincing about as much intelligence 

 as a tamed badger, or any other quadruped which can learn 

 to distinguish its feeder, come when called, or grow familiar 

 with the inmates of the house where it is kept. It is only in 

 a state of nature that the beaver displays any of those sin- 

 gular modes of action, which have so long rendered the spe- 

 cies celebrated. These may be summed up in a statement of 

 the manner in which they secure a sufficient depth of water 

 to prevent it from being frozen to the bottom, and their mode 

 of constructing the huts in which they pass the winter. 



The materials used for the construction of their dams are 

 the small trunks and branches of the birch, mulberry, willow, 

 poplar, &c. They begin to cut down their timber for build- 

 ing early in the summer, but their edifices are not commenced 

 till about the middle or end of August, and are not com- 

 pleted until the beginning of the cold season. The strength 

 of their teeth and their perseverance in this work may be 

 fairly estimated by the size of the trees they cut down. 

 These are cut in such a manner as to fall into the water, 

 and then floated towards the site of the dam or dwellings. 

 Small shrubs, &c., cut at a distance from the water, they 

 drag with their teeth to the stream, and then launch and 

 tow them to the place of deposit. At a short distance above 

 a beaver-dam, the number of trees which have been cut down 

 appears truly surprising, and the regularity of the stumps 

 which are left might lead persons unacquainted with the hab- 

 its of the animal to believe that the clearing was the result 

 of human industry. 



The figure of the dam varies according to circumstances. 

 Should the current be very gentle, the dam is carried nearly 

 straight across ; but when the stream, is swiftly flowing, it is 

 uniformly made with a considerable curve, having the convex 

 part opposed to the current. Along with the trunks and 



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