CASTOROI^OGIA. 7 1 



in all probability, bring down trees of much larger dimensions in a 

 shorter time. In fact, it was evident that our beaver was a novice 

 in the undertaking, as he more than once slipi^ed and rolled over on 

 his back in his eagerness to accomplish the task. It was impossible 

 to witness the actions of this animal without being struck by the 

 amount of skill and intelligence exhibited. When the space cut 

 through towards the centre w^as too narrow to admit its head, its 

 teeth were applied above and below so as to increase the width from 

 the outside towards the centre, until the remaining parts above and 

 below formed two cones, the apices of which joined in the middle. 

 Again and again the animal left off gnawing, and, standing upright 

 on its hind legs, rested its front feet on the upper part of the tree, 

 as if to feel whether it was on the move. This showed clearly that 

 the creature knew exactly what it was about. ' ' 



Another keen observer was Captain Bonneville, who among his 

 adventures in the Rockies and Far West, records his obser\^ations 

 on the beaver, and refers thus to the subject : — 



" I have often seen trees, measuring eighteen inches in diameter, 

 at the places where they have been cut through by the beaver, but 

 they lay in all directions and often very inconveniently for the after 

 purposes of the animal. In fact, so little ingenuity do they at times 

 display in this particular, that at one of our camps at Snake River, 

 a beaver was found with its head wedged into the cut which it had 

 made, the tree having fallen upon him and held him prisoner until 

 he died." 



It will naturally be surmised that the chips cut during the tree- 

 felling, must be in some cases of considerable size, but one can 

 scarcely realize that many of the largest measure nine inches in 

 length. These doubtless, are the work of fully adult beavers, whose 

 knowledge of felling would be thoroughly matured. The stump in 

 such cases is simply marv^elous to contemplate, for the cutting power 

 exhibited by so small an animal seems scarcely credible. Cuts many 

 inches in length, sharply marking the width of the teeth give evi- 

 dence of their wonderful adaptability, for no better work could be 



