54 ROMANCE OF THE BEAVER 



demand far greater intelligence, though from a 

 physical point of view the cutting of immense trees 

 by so small an animal is extraordinary, if not 

 unique in the world of quadrupeds. Just as in all 

 their other engineering and architectural feats, the 

 beaver are most systematic in their wood-cutting 

 operations ; as a rule the trees bordering the pond 

 or river are the first to be cut, then as this supply 

 is depleted they go further afield ; but as the 

 carrying and pushing of logs on land is hard work 

 they clear a path or road to the water. When they 

 discover a place where there is a poplar grove or 

 clump of suitable trees of any variety, they will, 

 before beginning other work, make a smooth road- 

 way, often as much as five feet or more in width 

 leading from the trees to the nearest water. From 

 this road every obstruction will usually be cleared 

 so that the logs may be brought down with the 

 least possible effort. The actual cutting down of 

 the tree is done by means of the chisel-like teeth 

 which cut through the wood across the grain with 

 the keenness of steel. The number of beaver that 

 work together is variable, often a solitary one 

 unaided will cut down a tree eight or ten inches in 

 diameter during a single night, sometimes several 

 will work together ; though it is most unusual for 

 more than two to be actually cutting at the same 

 time, others may be near by, and even take turns, 

 but they avoid getting in each other's way. It 

 has often been said that while a tree is being cut, 



