Beaver food is largely inner bark of deciduous 

 or broad -leaved trees. Foremost among these 

 trees which they use for food is the aspen, al- 

 though the cottonwood and willow are eaten 

 almost as freely. The bark of the birch, alder, 

 maple, box-elder, and a number of other trees 

 is also used. Except in times of dire emergency 

 the beaver will not eat the bark of the pine, 

 spruce, or fir tree. It is fortunate that the trees 

 which the beaver fell and use for food or build- 

 ing purposes are water-loving trees, which not 

 only sprout from both stump and root, but grow 

 with exceeding rapidity. Among other lesser 

 foods used are berries, mushrooms, sedge, grass, 

 and the leaves and stalks of a number of plants. 

 In winter dried grass and leaves are sometimes 

 used, and in this season the rootstocks of the pond- 

 lily and the roots of the willow, alder, birch, and 

 other water-loving trees that may be got from the 

 bottom of the pond. Beaver are vegetarians; they 

 do not eat fish or flesh. 



Apparently beaver prefer to cut trees that are 

 less than six inches in diameter, and where slen- 

 der poles abound it is rare for anything to be cut 



10 



