1964 ' The Zoologist— January, 1870. 



to the fall of the original stream, from a small hole of twenty feet 

 diameter to a lake of miles in length. In the former case the beaver 

 builds his house close to the dam, so as to get depth of water, and 

 there saves himself from any hungry panther {Felts concolor, L.) or 

 wolf who might feel inclined to indulge in beaver-meat. The beaver 

 also burrows into the banlis of streams, always taking care to have two 

 entrances, one under (or close to) the water, and a smaller air-hole on 

 land. With a good dog, capital sporl may be had on some of the 

 smaller rivulets leading into or out of a lake. The houses are formed 

 of water-logged slicks placed horizontally in the water. They have 

 always two or more entrances, and a small chamber with a little grass 

 for the beaver to lie on. The lop of the house is constructed very 

 thick, to guard against attacks by animals. Mud and roots are used 

 to make the house solid ; but no mud is seen from the outside, as the 

 lop is covered with loose sticks left there by the beaver after taking the 

 bark off. The houses are generally about four feet in height, and 

 about six in diameter on the outside, and would hold about four 

 beavers, though I have known small houses to hold two only. 



The traps generally used in securing the beaver are large steel 

 traps with a strong spring at each end, and fastened with a chain, 

 from four to six feet long, to a pole, which is stuck in the bottom of 

 the water as far out as the chain will allow, so that the beaver, when 

 he foels the trap, may run into deep water; and as he gets tired, the 

 weight of trap taking him down, he drowns. A beaver, when trapped, 

 never tries to get to land, but makes a dive for the deepest water; 

 and should tlie water be shallower than four feet, he will, in a short 

 time, amputate his foot so as to relieve himself. He always takes his 

 foot off at a joint, and draws the sinews out of his shoulder instead of 

 biting them through. The stump heals up; and I think the beaver is 

 none the worse for it, though he gets shy, and, perhaps, tells the other 

 beavers to beware of traps. A beaver is generally caught by his fore 

 foot; and should the trap be set too deep below water, his toe-nail 

 only gets caught. The trap is set in the beaver-run, or just where it 

 springs into a hole in the bank. It must not be set in too shallow 

 water, for then he amputates his foot, — or in too deep, for in that case 

 he docs not get caught at all, but swims over the trap. The proper 

 depth to set a trap is five inches. The beaver is then caught by his 

 fore foot. Sometimes the teeth of a beaver are found to have grown 

 beyond their proper length. 1 once saw one with the lower teeth 

 three and a half inches beyond the gums. He was caught iu a trap, 



