The Beaver 
a 5 po 
breathing. The conical roof is often four to six feet 
thick. The interior of their dwellings they keep very 
neat. Every dwelling has, deep down in the water, 
on the side furthest removed from the shore, an open- 
ing for the entrance and exit of its inmates. Beavers 
work only at night. By day they do not leave their 
dams, and swim, when going from one cone to an- 
other, so far under water that one cannot notice them. 
The beaver feeds on the roots of various water 
plants; for instance, a nuphar luteum, but chiefly on 
the bark of various trees, especially willow, cotton- 
wood and birch. Only in sore need does he gnaw the 
pines. With this object, beavers fell trees whose 
trunks are even six to eight inches in diameter, solely 
by gnawing them with their sharp teeth, leaving a 
conical stump. They like to cut the trees on the shore 
side and then float them down on the water to their 
dwellings. If the locality does not admit of floating 
the trees they drag them overland for long distances. 
They gather in summer provisions for the winter, 
which they keep in front of the entrances to their 
dwellings. The females bring forth yearly two to 
five young. The young beavers are very droll creat- 
ures. Their cry deceptively resembles that of little 
children. The beavers are usually caught in iron 
traps, whose two springs can be pressed apart. The 
bait which is put on it is a mixture of beaver secre- 
tions (castoreum) with various spices and some whis- 
key. A stick or twig is smeared with this, and set 
upon the trap. The bait must project over the water. 
