THE BEAVERS OF NORTH AMERICA 9 



places had to be filled in with sod and mud. The 

 young assisted in this work, each bringing his small 

 load and arranging it as he had seen his parents do. 

 Occasionally, the family stopped work altogether 

 and took time to nibble a little bark from some 

 particularly tempting branch. Then a very impor- 

 tant work demanded attention. The cutting of 

 trees and gathering of the winter supply of food. 

 On this must depend their safety during the cold 

 weather. A few days ago, they had felled a large 

 birch tree which had dropped on the edge of the 

 pond. Already they had cut off many of the most 

 accessible branches and now they continued the 

 work of stripping the trunk of its limbs. Some 

 were so large that it was necessary to cut them 

 into several sections, their length depending on the 

 thickness. As each piece was cut through with 

 their keen-edged teeth, it was floated across the 

 water to the pile near the house. In swimming, 

 the beaver held the branch with his teeth, and on 

 arriving at the food pile, he would take a fresh grip 

 with his teeth and dive down carrying the branch 

 with him. Then the whole pile would tremble 

 slightly as he forced the piece into the tangled mass 

 of sticks, well below the surface of the water. 

 Trip after trip was made in this manner, each trip 

 adding its mite to the great supply of winter food, 

 and while the young were thus engaged one of the 

 old ones was up in the woods searching for a fresh 

 tree to cut down. 



