narrow stretches of land around which crooked 

 streams wander. 



The majority of beaver ponds are comparatively 

 shallow over the greater portion of their area. 

 In many cases it is not easy, or even possible, to 

 deepen them. They may be so shallow that the 

 pond freezes to the bottom in winter except in 

 its small deeper portion. The shallow ponds are 

 made more usable by a number of canals in the 

 bottom. These canals assure deep-water stretches 

 under all conditions. Most beaver ponds have a 

 canal that closely parallels the dam. In some in- 

 stances this is extended around the pond a few 

 yards inside the shore-line. Two canals usually 

 extend from the house. One of these connects 

 with the canal by the dam, the other runs to the 

 place on the shore (commonly at the end of a trail 

 or slide) most visited by the beaver. 



In Jefferson Valley, Montana, not far from 

 Three Forks, I enjoyed the examination of num- 

 erous beaver workings, and made measurements 

 of the most interesting system of beaver canals 

 that I have ever seen. The beaver house for 

 which these canals did service was situated on 



107 



