BUILDING INSTINCT OF BEAVER. 539 



tranquillity which, they require for the construction of the 

 works now described, they no longer build huts, but live in 

 excavations in the banks of the water. 



708. The building instinct shows itself, even when the 

 Beaver is in captivity, and under circumstances in which it 

 could be of no use. A half-domesticated individual, in the 

 possession of Mr. Broderip, began to build as soon as it was 

 let out of its cage and materials were placed in its way. Even 

 when it was only half-grown, it would drag along a large 

 sweeping-brush or warming-pan, grasping the handle with its 

 teeth, so that the load came over its shoulder ; and would 

 endeavour to lay this with other materials, in the mode em- 

 ployed by the Beaver when in a state of nature. " The long 

 and large materials were always taken first ; and two of the 

 longest were generally laid cross-wise, with one of the ends 

 of each touching the wall, and the other ends projecting out 

 into the room. The area formed by the cross-brushes and 

 the wall, he would fill up with hand-brushes, rush-baskets, 

 books, boots, sticks, cloths, dried turf, or anything portable. 

 As the work grew high, he supported himself upon his tail, 

 which propped him up admirably ; and he would often, after 

 laying-on one of his building materials, sit up over against it, 

 appearing to consider his work, or, as the country people say, 

 'judge it.' This pause was sometimes followed by changing 

 the position of the material judged ; and sometimes it was 

 left in its place. After he had piled up his materials in one 

 part of the room (for he generally chose the same place), he 

 proceeded to wall-up the space between the feet of a chest of 

 drawers which stood at a little distance from it, high enough 

 on his legs to make the bottom a roof for him ; using for this 

 purpose dried turf and sticks, which he laid very even, and 

 filling up the interstices with bits of coal, hay, cloth, or any- 

 thing he could pick up. This last place he seemed to appro- 

 priate for his dwelling ; the former work seemed to be intended 

 for a dam. When he had walled-up the space between the 

 feet of the chest of drawers, he proceeded to carry-in sticks, 

 cloths, hay, cotton, &c., and to make a nest; and when he 

 had done, he would sit up under the drawers, and comb him- 

 self with the nails of his hind feet." 



709. "We see, in this account, a very interesting example 

 of the irrational character of Instinct. If the animal were 



