MB. R. BROWN ON THE BEAVER. 367 



My friend Mr. John Tod, chief trader in the Hon. Hudson's Bay 

 Company's service during a long residence at Fort M'Leod (a post 

 of that Fur Company, situated in the northern portion of British 

 Columbia), has communicated to me his observations, vrhich, dif- 

 fering in some respects, substantiate in the main those of Mr. 

 Grreen. The Beaver has from four to ten young — most often four, 

 sometimes eight, rarely ten. It carries its young six months. It 

 produces in May. When the female is going to have young the 

 male takes the young of last year (for sometimes as many as three 

 generations will remain around the paternal abode), and goes 

 up a river several miles, remaining there until the female has pro- 

 duced. 



The dams here, as everywhere else, are perfectly constructed, 

 and with an opening in the middle for the current. The only 

 approach to plastering their houses which I have observed is its 

 giving a self-satisfied "clap" of the tail on laying down its 

 load*. The loads are carried between the top of the fore paws 

 and the under surface of the head. The trailing of the tail along 

 the ground gives the vicinity the appearance of being plastered. 

 The house has two flats : the bottom one is on a level with the 

 water ; the top one is used to sleep in, and has communication 

 with the water through the bottom. The top one has direct 

 communication with the land. Sometimes they live in merely a 

 tunnel or cave. In winter the Indians go along the edge of the 

 ice, sounding with a stick ; and wherever there is the opening of 

 one of these tunnels, the sound being different, he watches and 

 plugs up the opening. If these holes or tunnels are used as 

 escapes from the houses, they break into the latter. If the 

 beaver is not in, the Indian makes a hole in the ice. He 

 then makes a great noise, and watches the rippling of the water 

 to see if he is there, because his motion will have that effect. 

 When alarmed he generally rushes for his hole ; and finding it 

 closed, he is often shot in his endeavour to escape. In trapping, 

 some strong-smelling stuff" (commonly castoreum in rum or cin- 

 namon) is spread on the path. The trap is then set in the water 

 close to the bank, and covered with about four inches of water. 

 The beaver, attracted by the strong-smelling substance, gives an 

 approving slap of his tail, and starts off*, if anywhere in the neigh- 

 bourhood, to investigate the booty; and as he is leaving the 



* On this point vide A. Murray, Edin. New Phil. Journal (1859), vol. ix. 

 (n.s.)p. 216. 



