CAPTURE OF ANIMALS. 45 



recent period, Beavers were abundant in all the Northern, 

 Middle, and Western States of the Union, as the large num- 

 ber of their dams, and the beautiful " beaver meadows " 

 caused by the filling up of their ponds with alluvial matter, 

 sufficiently indicate. But they retire at the approach of man ; 

 and the gradual clearing up and cultivation of the soil has 

 driven them nearly all from the country. In the upper and 

 lower provinces of Canada, however, they are still found in 

 abundance. 



There are several methods of taking Beaver in steel-traps. 

 A few of the most successful I will endeavor to describe. 



A full-grown family of Beavers, as I have said before, con- 

 sists of the parents (male and female), their three-year-old 

 offspring, the two-year-olds, and the yearlings, four genera- 

 tions of four different sizes, occupying one hut, and doing 

 business in one pond. When a trapper comes upon such a 

 pond, or one that he has reason to believe is inhabited by a 

 large number of Beavers, his object should be to take them 

 all ; and, in order to do this, he must conduct his operations 

 so that when one Beaver is caught it will not have opportunity 

 to alarm the rest ; for otherwise the whole family may leave 

 for parts unknown. His care should be directed therefore to 

 two points, namely, first, to the setting of his traps in such a 

 way as to take each Beaver while alone ; and, secondly, to 

 arrangements for drowning them as speedily as possible after 

 they are taken. To secure the first point, he should not set 

 his traps very near the dwelling of the Beavers, but should 

 select places at some distance up the pond on some point or 

 neck of land projecting into the stream, where the animals will 

 pass and repass, but where each will be most likely to be alone. 

 The trap should be set close to the shore, about three inches 

 under water, and should be carefully secreted by a covering 

 of some soft substance that will not interfere with its spring- 

 ing. For bait, a small portion of beaver-castor (a milky 

 secretion found in glands near the testicles of the male Bea- 

 ver) may be left on the bank near the trap. If the trapper's 

 approach was made by land, all foot-prints should be erased by 

 drenching with water. To secure the second point, the chain 



