170 Field Museum of Natural History — Zoology, Vol. XI. 



the industry as well as the intelligence of the beaver" (/. c, pp. 

 199-200) 



In felling the larger trees the Beaver first cut two parallel grooves, 

 or furrows, at right angles with the grain and about two or three inches 

 apart and the wood between these furrows is split out with their sharp 

 chisel-like teeth; the operation is then repeated to a greater depth 

 and continued until the tree falls. The cut portion of the tree resembles 

 the middle of an hour-glass and both ends of the severed part are 

 conical. 



Much has been written of the wonderful sagacity shown by Beaver 

 in their work, and while a great deal which is claimed for them is true, 

 in some cases at least over-zealous and non-scientific observers have 

 been prone to draw somewhat hasty conclusions. It has been claimed, 

 for example, that a Beaver cuts down a tree in a way that will cause it 

 to fall in any desired direction. This may or may not be true, but the 

 facts do not seem to warrant such a statement. In early days I have 

 seen a number of Beaver dams and have examined dozens of trees which 

 had been cut down by the animals ; some had fallen in a manner which 

 would encourage such a belief, but on the other hand fully as many 

 had not. 



The well-known castorum or castor of commerce is a secretion of 

 the castorum glands of the Beaver, which has a peculiar penetrating 

 odor and which is highly attractive to the Beavers themselves, so much 

 so that it is used as a bait by trappers. The usual method of using it is 

 to place a little of the fluid on the end of a twig which extends over the 

 trap, the latter being placed under the water. In trying to smell the 

 stick the Beaver steps on the trap and is caught. 



While it is probable that medical men of to-day would prefer to avail 

 themselves of other remedies, it is interesting to learn that physicians 

 of three hundred years ago considered the skin of the European Beaver, 

 which is a close relative of ours, to possess decided therapeutic value. 

 In writing of the European species in the early part of the seventeeth 

 century, Edward Topsell* says: 



''The medicinall vertues of this beast are in the skin. . . A 

 garment made of the skinnes is good for a paralitick person, and the 

 skinnes burned with drie Oynions and liquid pitch, stayeth the bleeding 

 of the nose, and being put into the soles of shoes easeth the gowt." 



Specimens examined from Wisconsin and adjoining states: 

 Michigan — Iron County, 5. 

 Wisconsin — (O. C.) Sawyer County (skull), i. 



* Historic of Foure Footed Beastes, London, 1607, p. 17. 



