162 ROMANCE OF THE BEAVER 



taken until they are thoroughly established and 

 really abundant, neither should they ever be molested 

 in the reserves under any conditions, in order that 

 people might have the opportunity of seeing them 

 living peacefully and without suspicion. For- 

 tunately they are amenable to protection and they 

 adapt themselves readily to new conditions. In 

 zoological gardens and private parks they do re- 

 markably well, even though they can never be 

 said to be show animals in any sense of the word 

 when in captivity, owing to their crepuscular 

 and nocturnal habits. 



The following account of an experience I had 

 with beaver in the Washington Zoological Gardens 

 may be of interest, for even though it was published 

 elsewhere many years ago it still shows something 

 of the animal in captivity. 



THE OUTCAST* 



A TRUE STORY OF A CAPTIVE BEAVER 



It is difficult to imagine a more pathetic sight 

 than that of the poor old beaver solitary and so 

 entirely alone, within sight of his comrades yet not 

 among them, unable to join in their games and 

 their work, living his lonely life like a hermit ; 

 within sight of his fellow men, but separated by a 

 barrier as strange as it was secure. After I had 

 waited for many hours watching quietly in the 



* First published in Everyhodi/s Magazine. 



