146 ROMANCE OF THE BEAVER 



shelter which prevents the rapid evaporation of the 

 water ; the result is of course the lessening of the 

 amount in the larger rivers. At certain seasons the 

 supply is too great, and floods do infinite damage. 

 At other times there is a great shortage. Man, in 

 order to prevent this uneven supply, builds enor- 

 mous dams which retain the water during the season 

 of plenty, and deal it out as needed during the hot 

 summer months. But even with man's most care- 

 fully arranged plans and vast expenditure of money, 

 we hear of periodic water famines, with the result- 

 ing hardships which have such far-reaching and 

 disastrous results. But what, may be asked, has 

 this got to do with beaver ? A glance at the work 

 of those small animals will answer the question. 

 Their dams, built most often near the head waters 

 of streams, result in countless reservoirs, which 

 keep the water in check and allow only the steady 

 flow of a small amount, so that droughts in a beaver 

 country are almost unknown, as there is always a 

 sufficient supply kept in reserve. In some few 

 parts of the country stock owners have begun to 

 realise this important fact with the highly satis- 

 factory result that these men are protecting beaver, 

 which they regard as of the utmost value, because 

 they can actually see the benefits which result from 

 the work of these insignificant engineers. In the 

 western States this exhibition of the importance of 

 the beaver is most in evidence, and we may hope that 

 other parts of the country will eventually, and 



