104 NOTES ON BEAVERS. 



is generally situated near the mouth of the brook, as the food of the 

 beavers during the summer mouths consists in great measure of tlie 

 stems and roots of the pond lily (Nupliar advena), which is called 

 beaver-root by tlie settlers. 



Wliilst the winter house is building the beavers often live in a deep 

 hole in the bank, which is called a " hovel " or " wash." The eutrance 

 to this hole is always under water, and when it has extended some 

 distance inland it rises to a chamber which is not only high and dry, 

 but has a ventilating hole for the admission of air. 



Although birch and willow trees as large as a man's thigh are 

 frequently cut down, the beavers appear only to make use of the smaller 

 branches, which are cut into suitable lengths and carried to the house, 

 near which they are sunk by means of mud until a very considerable 

 pile of them is raised to some height above the water. The beavers 

 always draw their supply from the base of this stack, so as to feed on 

 the most sodden bark. Until winter compels them to consume this 

 store they feed upon the land or upon browse collected on the top 

 of the house. Their principal food, however, consists of the bark 

 of the aspen, willow, birch, poplar, and occasionally the alder. They 

 rarely resort to the pine tribe unless from severe necessity. 



I will now proceed with my description of the Bute Beavert, so that 

 you may compare an account of their actual doings in free or 

 unmolested confinement with the review of the habits of the species I 

 have just concluded. 



Having been favoured by Mr. Hughes, the great Birmingham 

 Naturalist, with a letter of introduction to Mr. Barker, of Rothesay, 

 and having also presented this letter and gained the latter gentleman's 

 cordial co-operation, we started from the Queen's Hotel on a very 

 beautiful morning, and after about an hour's drive stopped between 

 two of the Mount Stuart fir woods, whilst my friend summoned the 

 keeper. Black, from his cottage hard by, to show and explain the 

 " Beavery " to us. 



Crossing a stile and plunging at once into the depths of the wood, 

 a sharp walk of some ten minutes found us close by a dwarf wall 

 surmounted by a light iron fence. Climbing over this we entered an 

 enclosure of some three acres, containing a valley whose banks were 

 clothed with fir and an undergrowth of bracken, whilst along the 

 bottom trickled a tiny burn. Within this space the Marquis of Bute, 

 about four yeai-s since, turned out two pairs of beavers ; but as he did not 

 know then that they required willow bai'k for their sustenance one pair 

 perished. On willow branches being furnished to the other two they 

 prospered, and at the present time {i.e., 1878) have increased to 

 sixteen ; and not only so, but curiously enough, the locally bred 

 beavers have adapted themselves to their environment and taken to 

 feeding on the fir bark, sooner than eat which their predecessors 

 succumbed. 



The first thing that attracted my attention was a broad yellow ring 

 round the base of many of the trees, and as we got nearer I saw they 



