BEAVER HOUSES. 163 



Along the Macmillan the beavers live for 

 the most part in houses built against the banks. 

 These are large domed structures, solidly built 

 of sticks of all sizes up to the thickness of one's 

 wrist, firmly held together with mud. They 

 can onl}^ be entered by diving into the river 

 and coming up beneath them. All through 

 September and October until the river fi-eezes 

 up, the beavers work very hard, cutting down 

 trees and storing up food for the winter. When 

 they have felled a big tree, thay lop oif all the 

 top branches and drag them down the bank 

 into the water, and then take them to their 

 houses. 



When we came down the river again early 

 in October we found immense quantities 

 of poplar boughs all packed tightly together 

 under the water, and extending in some cases 

 for twenty yards below the beaver houses. 

 Considering that the current in the Macmillan 

 River is very rapid, it is a mystery to me how 

 these boughs were kept in position. 



When the river is frozen solid, the beavers 

 live comfortably in the grass-lined chamber in 



