THE BEAVER. 151 



from the preceding figure of a Beaver's skull. 

 This figure was drawn for my " Illustrated Natural 

 History," published by Messrs. Routledge and Sons, 

 and is kindly lent by them. 



There is one remarkable point in their internal 

 structure, the object of which is not precisely known. 

 The cavities of the heart are very large in proportion to 

 the size of the organ, then the walls are quite thin, 

 and when the animal is dead, the heart seems to col- 

 lapse almost into nothing. 



Perhaps the reader may not be aware that the 

 Beaver, although it is chiefly known as an inhabitant 

 of North America, still exists in several parts of 

 Europe, and, until a comparatively late period of 

 history, was found in this country, and was called in 

 Scotland the broad-tailed otter. I believe that it was 

 not fairly extinct until the end of the fifteenth or the 

 beginning of the sixteenth century. 



It is a notable fact that in the historical records of 

 this country, the fur of the Beaver was not only more 

 costly than that of any other British animal, bub 

 regularly increased in proportionate value, showing 

 that the animal was gradually becoming scarcer. The 

 last specimens were seen in some of the Scottish lakes, 

 and I think that it would be a good work to procure a 

 number of specimens, whether European or American, 

 and try to re-introduce this curious and interesting 

 animal. 



It has already been mentioned that the mental 

 qualities of the Beaver have been much exaggerated, 

 in consequence of the erroneous ideas which were pre- 

 valent respecting its mode of life. But truth is, indeed, 



