262 FOOD. 
remarkably fond of rice and plum-pudding : 
they would eat partridges and fresh venison 
very freely, but I never tried them with 
fish, though I have heard that they will at 
times prey on them. In fact, there are few 
gramibpivorous animals that may not be 
brought to be carnivorous.” 
Of the things usually eaten by the Beaver, 
the same writer gives the following account : 
—‘‘'Their food consists of a large root, some- 
thing resembling a cabbage-stalk, which 
grows at the bottom of the lakes and rivers. 
They also eat the bark of trees, particularly 
those of the poplar, birch, and willow ; but the 
ice preventing them from getting to the land 
in the winter, they have not any bark to feed 
on in that season, except that of such sticks 
as they cut down in summer, and throw into 
the water opposite the doors of their houses ; 
and as they generally eat a great deal, the 
roots above-mentioned constitute a principat 
part of their food during the winter. In 
summer thev vary their diet, by eating dif- 
ferent kinds of herbage, and such berries as 
grow near their haunts.” 
