CASTOR FIBER. 



more readily captured than if he had remained in his ordi- 

 nary home. To capture beavers residing on a small river 

 or creek, the Indians find it necessary to stake the stream 

 across to prevent the animals from escaping, and then they 

 try to ascertain where their hiding-places in the banks are 

 situated. This can only be done by those who are very ex- 

 perienced in such explorations. The hunter takes with him 

 an ice-chisel, lashed to a handle four or five feet in length ; 

 with this instrument he strikes against the ice as he goes 

 along the edge of the banks. The sound produced by the 

 blow informs him when he is near the beaver's lair. A hole 

 is then cut through the ice of sufficient size to admit a full- 

 grown beaver, and the search is continued until as many of 

 the places of retreat are discovered as possible. During the 

 time the most expert hunters are thus occupied, others are busy 

 in breaking into the beaver-huts, a task of some difficulty. 

 The beavers, alarmed at the invasion of their dwelling, take 

 to the water and swim with surprising swiftness to their re- 

 treats in the banks, but their entrance is betrayed to the hun- 

 ters watching the holes in the ice by the motion and discolo- 

 ration of the water. The entrance is instantly closed with 

 stakes of wood, and the beaver, instead of finding shelter in 

 his cave, is made prisoner and destroyed. The hunter then 

 pulls the animal out, if within reach, by the introduction of 

 his hand and arm, or by a hook designed for this use, fas- 

 tened to a long handle. Beaver dwellings found in lakes or 

 other standing waters offer an easier prey to the hunters, as 

 there is no occasion for staking the water across. 



The beaver feeds principally upon the bark of the aspen, 

 willow, birch, poplar, and occasionally the elder, but it rarely 

 resorts to the pine tribe, unless from severe necessity. They 

 provide a stock of wood from the trees mentioned, during 

 the summer season, and place it in the water opposite the 

 entrance to their huts. They also depend in a great degree 

 upon the large roots of the Nuphar luteum, common yellow 

 nuphar, but it is remarked that these roots, although they fat- 

 ten the beaver, impart a rank and disagreeable taste to its 

 flesh. During the winter season the beaver becomes very 

 fat, arid its flesh is esteemed by the hunters to be excellent 

 food. But those occasionally caught in the summer are very 

 thin and unfit for the table. They lead so wandering a life 

 at this season, arid are so much exhausted by the collection 





