42 ROMANCE OF THE BEAVER 



much careful planning. Good sites for house and 

 dam are not found everywhere, neither is an 

 adjacent food supply, while for the combination 

 they must have to search over many weary miles. 

 It would be most interesting to know their 

 methods. Do they deliberately go out on " house- 

 hunting" expeditions, examining everything as 

 they go along, and following each stream either to 

 find its source, or discover springs which will ensure 

 sufficient water in the stream during the dry 

 season ? Whatever is their method, the results are 

 in nearly all cases eminently successful. The work 

 of hunting for a suitable place to establish a house 

 is done during the summer months, for then the 

 beavers do not usually occupy their lodge. They 

 wander about the country, nearly always following 

 the waterways. If, for any reason, it is their 

 intention to found a new colony, they remain in 

 what seems a desirable situation, living in bank 

 burrows instead of lodges, while the possibilities 

 are thoroughly investigated and plans apparently 

 made for building the dam. A stream flowing 

 through country well wooded with poplars and 

 hardwoods is usually chosen, and the work begins at 

 any time during the summer, though more often 

 towards the approach of autumn. Sometimes, 

 indeed, no attempt is made until as late as the 

 beginning of cool weather, but there seems to be 

 every reason for believing that they prefer the time 

 when the streams are at their lowest, which is 



