66 ROMANCE OF THE BEAVER 



hauling loads up a steep bank, and well enough do 

 they realise this when they make the tunnel. It 

 is always seen that the beaver never carry wood 

 further than is absolutely necessary, and they avail 

 themselves of every possible opportunity of shorten- 

 ing their journeys, resorting to the most remark- 

 able feats for the accomplishment of their purpose. 

 Of all the work done by beaver nothing can 

 compare for cleverness with the canals they con- 

 struct. These canals, I venture to say, are a 

 demonstration of the highest skill to be found in 

 the work of any animal below man. It is even 

 doubtful whether man in his lowest form does 

 such extraordinary constructive work, and with 

 such remarkable success. This remark may be 

 criticised by those who hate to credit animals with 

 anything more than instinct, and absolutely deny 

 to them the power of a certain very definite order 

 of intelligence. Instinct is defined as " a natural 

 spontaneous impulse or propensity, especially in 

 the lower animals, that moves them without 

 reasoning toward the actions that are essential to 

 their existence, preservation and development, and 

 that reason would approve as tending to their 

 welfare or to some useful end." Further, it is said 

 to be "unlike reason in pushing umntelligently 

 toward its ends, in attaining at once to perfection 

 in its work, and as being incapable of development 

 and progress." "Although reason may ... in 

 varying degrees be blended with instinct, the dis- 



