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THE BEAVER. 210 

from cutting into a house in the spring and finding a very aged 
beaver frozen stiff in this position in his nest. 
As they increase in numbers and grow up, a pair or more 
will start out from the old home to housekeep for themselves, 
making the journey usually up the main stream, often finding 
a smaller branch coming into the main, which after examining 
they settle near its head, if finding chances for good flowage 
and plenty of young wood. The old ones assist the young 
pairs to build their new dam, which when completed the old 
ones return to the old home. Often a family become dis- 
gusted with the cruel ways of the trapper, and fearful of yet 
more murderous intentions on his part, they all desert their 
home together and find a sly chance which is known only to 
themselves, for a long time, and then, when the trapper hap- 
pens to trace them out, he may see such a village of beaver 
houses as makes his eye fairly twinkle over the prospect of 
rich furs, the excitement and the dollars. Then again, when 
being driven from, or voluntarily leaving their home, they 
will settle upon the same stream, often but a short distance 
above, sometimes finding all favorable for them without build- 
ing a dam, only their house, which they must have on the 
boggy lands, only living in the banks of the streams where 
they are high, dry and loomy. 
Should the trapper wish to catch but one beaver, he can do 
so by setting the trap in the nest inside the house ; but he only 
gets the one in this manner, as the others will not stay to take 
such a chance after seeing one of their number caught. To 
do this, he sets his trap the same as for the musquash, and by 
cutting through the house immediately over the nest, the exact 
spot known by the white frost showing upon the outside com- 
ing from the beaver’s warmth of body and his breathing. 
