in a short time. A small dam may be built up in 

 a few nights, or a number of trees felled, or pos- 

 sibly a long burrow or tunnel clawed in the earth 

 during a brief period. In most cases, however, 

 beaver works of magnitude are monuments of old 

 days, and have required a long time to construct, 

 being probably the work of more than one gen- 

 eration. It is rare for a large dam or canal to be 

 constructed in one season. A thousand feet of 

 dam is the accumulated work of years. An aged 

 beaver may have lived all his life in one locality, 

 born in the house in which his parents were born, 

 and he might rise upon the thousand-foot dam 

 which held his pond and say, " My grandparents 

 half a dozen centuries ago commenced this dam, 

 and I do not know which one of my ancestors 

 completed it." 



Although the beaver is a tireless and an effect- 

 ive worker, he does not work unless there is need 

 to do so. Usually his summer is a rambling vaca- 

 tion spent away from home. His longest period 

 of labor is during September and October, when 

 the harvest is gathered and general preparations 

 made for the long winter. Baby beavers take part 



4 



