152 EODENT WATER TRESPASSERS. 



often stranger than fiction, as may be seen from the 

 following anecdote which is given by Mr. Green : 



" In a creek about four miles above the mouth of 

 Quesnelle River, in British Columbia, some miners 

 broke down a Beaver' s dam, in the course of the opera- 

 tions for making a ditch, at the same time erecting a 

 wheel to force up the water. Beavers abounded in this 

 stream, and found themselves much inconvenienced 

 by these proceedings. Accordingly, it is said that, in 

 order to stop the wheel, the Beavers placed a stick 

 between the flappers, in such a way as to stop the revo- 

 lutions of the wheel. This was so continually repeated 

 night after night, and was so artfully performed, as to 

 preclude the possibility of its being accidental." 



Although it is not true that the Beaver must 

 always have its tail wet, yet the auimal does not seem 

 to thrive unless it can obtain access to water. It has 

 often been kept on land and supplied with food, but 

 its natural instincts lead it to perform many of the acts 

 which it would perform if at liberty. For example, if 

 kept in a room, it will collect articles of furniture and 

 make a sort of dam with them in a corner, although 

 there may not be a drop of water in the room. Some- 

 times it has found the necessity for dam-building so 

 strong, that, not being able to find any loose furniture, 

 such as brushes, or even waste-paper, it has supplied 

 itself with building materials by gnawing off the legs 

 of the chairs and tables. In one such case, the Beaver 

 laid all the furniture prostrate in a single night, having 

 cut off all the legs of every chair and table. 



Water seems to be even a matter of health with the 

 animal. Mr. Green mentions a specimen that was 



