The Zoologist — Januarv, 1870. 1961 



says : — " In a creek about four miles above the mouth of Quesnelle 

 River, in British Columbia, some miners broke down a dam, in the 

 course of the operation for making a ditch, at the same time erecting 

 a vi^heel to force up the water. Beavers abounded on this stream, 

 and found themselves much inconvenienced by these proceedings. 

 Accordingly, it is said that, in order to stop the wheel, the beavers 

 placed a stick between the flappers in such a way as to stop the 

 revolutions of the wheel. This was so continually repeated night 

 after night, and was so artfully performed as to preclude the possi- 

 bility of its being accidental." 



The dried skin of an old beaver, if caught in good season, will 

 frequently weigh two pounds. 



In the good old trapping days, when beaver fur sold for a guinea a 

 pound, it was not much trouble for some of the few English settlers to 

 make money — however dishonest the practice : it was only necessary 

 to take four or five gallons of i-um, which could be bought of the 

 American and Nova-Scotian traders at less than a dollar a gallon, and 

 adulterate it with one-third water, and carry it into the country to the 

 wigwams of the Indians, who would gladly exchange the skin of an 

 old beaver, worth nearly two guineas, for a pint of rum ! I am happy 

 to say the Indians are far more sensible now, and take their fur to a 

 much better market, although, unfortunately for them, it is not worth 

 more than a quarter so much at the present day. 



Henry Reeks. 



Thruxton, Andover. 



[In order to bring this interesting subject more fully before the readers of th" 

 • Zoologist,' I have thought it best, even though incurring the necessity of considerable 

 repitilion, to reprint from the ' Journal of the Linneau Society ' (Vol. x., p. 361), the 

 whole of the excellent papers to which Mr. Reeks has referred. — E. Neiuman.'] 



On the Natural History and Hunting of the Beaver (Castor cana- 

 densis, Kuhl) on the Pacific Slope of the Rocky Mountains, 

 by AsriDOWN H. Green, Esq. With Supplementary Notes by 

 Robert Brown, Esq., F.R.G.S. (Communicated by James 

 MuRiE, M.D., F.L.S.) 



[Read November 5, 1868.] 



I HAVE been for three years almost constantly engaged in trapping 

 beavers, so that what remarks I may have to make on their habits 

 and history, though somewhat at variance with the stereotyped 



second series VOL. V. c 



