24 ROMANCE OF THE BEAVER 



growing, or with shredded wood, the latter being 

 more frequently employed. In cutting this bed- 

 ding, the beaver tears the wood into long strips as 

 shown in the accompanying illustration. Whether 

 or not moss is used, I cannot tell, but in the more 

 eastern portion of the beavers' range, I have never 

 seen any in the lodges, nor have I seen the 

 slightest evidence of its being gathered from the 

 ground or trees. However, Mills say that "A 

 few beds are made of grass, leaves, or moss from 

 the ground or trees." 



Occasionally, houses of immense size are found, 

 the largest I have actually measured was in 

 Newfoundland, on the banks of Sandy River. It 

 was thirty-seven feet in its greatest diameter and 

 seven feet in outside height. For about six years 

 it had been the home of a colony of beavers, 

 nine members or perhaps more having occupied it 

 at one time. Lodges of this size are extremely 

 rare, and I can find no record of any that were as 

 large. What size the chamber was can only be 

 conjectured, as I did not feel justified in breaking 

 into the structure, much as 1 wished to see the 

 interior. In the floor of the lodges are the entrances, 

 there being usually two, but sometimes three or 

 even more, their common size varying from ten to 

 about twenty-five inches in diameter. The idea 

 of having more than one is probably to allow of 

 escape in case of some enemy finding its way in 

 through one of the burrows. It also permits of 



