[ 414 J 



THE COMMON BEAVER*. 



The Beaver is a native of most of the northern 

 parts of Europe and Asia, but is principally found 

 in North America. There is some reason to suppose 

 that it was once an inhabitant of Great Britain : 

 for Giraldus Cambrensis says that these animals fre- 

 quented the river Tievi in Cardiganshire, and that 

 they had, from the Welsh, a name, signifying '' the 

 Broad-tailed animals." Their skins were valued by 

 the laws of Howel Dda, in the tenth century, at 

 the great sum of a hundred and twenty pence each ; 

 and they seem to have constituted the chief finery 

 and luxury of those days. 



The general length of the Beaver Is about three 

 feet. 1 he tail is oval, nearly a foot long, and com- 

 pressed horizontally, but rising into a convexity on 

 its upper surface : it is perfectly destitute of hair, 

 except at the base, and is marked out into scaly di- 

 visions, like the skin of a fish. The hair is very 

 fine, smooth, glossy, and of chesnut colour, vary- 

 ing sometimes to black ; and instances have oc- 

 curred, in which these animals have been found 

 white, cream-coloured, or spotted. The ears are 

 short, and almost hidden in the fur. 



No other quadrupeds seem to possess so great a 

 degree of natural sagacity as the Beavers. Yet when 



* Synonyms. — Castor Fiber. Lhm. — Fiber. Be/on. — Castor Bea- 

 ver, P<'//?2.— CaJtor. Hiifjon. — 8/iarp5 Gvn, Zoo!. pL J'28. — BfU'' 

 Huud. J 83. 



