XOTES ON THE BEAVERS AT LEOXARDSLEE. 255 



15. Notes on the Beavers at Leonardslee, 1916-1918. 

 By Sir Edmund G. Loder, Bart., Vice-President Z. S. 



[Received June 24, 1918 ; Read October 22, 1918.] 



Fro in the books on ISTatural History we have been given to 

 understand that Beavers breed only once in the year, and that 

 the young ones are born between the end of April and the 

 beginning of June, after a period of gestation which is believed 

 to last about fourteen weeks. 



In a book called ' In the Beaver World,' by E. A. Mills, it is 

 stated that the number in a litter varies from one to eight, and 

 that the eyes of the young ones are open from the beginning, 

 and in less than two weeks they appear in the water accompanied 

 by their mother. 



It is difficult to give an opinion as to how old the young- 

 Beavers are when we first see them at Leonardslee. They are 

 then about the size of rabbits, and we have supposed them to 

 have been born six weeks or two months befoi-e, but we feel we 

 have very little evidence to go on. I have always noticed the 

 young ones of this size swimming about alone, the mother taking 

 no notice of them. 



In January 1916 a pair of Canadian Beavers were received here. 

 (I will call these No. 1 and No. 2.) 



On Dec. 11, 1916, a young beaver was seen, about the size of a 

 rabbit. (I will call this one No. 4.) 



On July 10, 1917, three young ones were seen ; these again 

 were about the same size as No. 4 when it was first seen. (I will 

 call these three Nos. 6. 7, and 8.) 



Some time in August 1917 two young beavers were seen on 

 the bank together. One was considerably larger than the other. 

 The smaller one was recognized as No. 4, and we have to come to 

 the conclusion that the other must have been born in the spring 

 of 1916, soon after the arrival of the pair Nos. 1 and 2. (I will 

 call this one No. 3.) 



On June 15, 1918, a young beaver was seen for the first time. 

 Although only seen so lately, it is clear from its size that it 

 must have been born some months ago, perhaps in December 

 1917 or January 1918. (I call this one No. 5.) 



At the end of 1917 we had noticed that the old female seemed 

 heavy in j^oung, and were rather disappointed not to have seen 

 any signs of a litter, but it seems that she had one after all. 



On June 18, 1918, a very small beaver Avas seen (I call this 

 one No. 9). It was not larger than a big rat. The little one 

 was obviously out before the authorized time, for the mother (not 

 the old female) went after it, and taking hold of a piece of its skin 

 swam back with it to the mouth of the burrow, which is under 

 water, and, letting go with her mouth, pushed it with her paws. 



I think this young mother must be No. 3, which I suppose was 



