266 AUDUBON THE NATUEALIST. 



of trees cut down by these animals are observed 

 lying in various positions ; although as most 

 trees on the margin of a stream or river lean 

 somewhat towards the water, or have their 

 largest branches extended over it, many of 

 those cut down by the beavers naturally fall 

 in that direction. 



It is a curious fact, says our trapper, that 

 among the beavers there are some that are 

 lazy and will not work at all, either to assist 

 in building lodges or dams, or to cut down 

 wood for their winter stock. The industrious 

 ones beat these idle fellows, and drive them 

 away; sometimes cutting off a part of their 

 tail, and otherwise injuring them. These 

 "Paresseux" are more easily caught in traps 

 than the others, and the trapper rarely misses 

 one of them. They only dig a hole from the 

 water, running obliquely towards the surface 

 of the ground twenty -five or thirty feet, from 

 which they emerge when hungry to obtain 

 food, returning to the same hole with the 

 wood they procure, to eat the bark. 



They never form dams, and are sometimes 

 to the number of five or seven together; all 

 are males. It is not at all improbable that 

 these unfortunate fellows have, as is the case 

 with the ma]es of many species of animals, 

 been engaged in fighting with others of theil 



