218 ROMANCE OF THE BEAVER 



that are found on the Pacific coast are called 

 Castor padficm. 



The European beaver, Castor fiber, still exists in 

 a few places in Europe, chiefly, I believe, in 

 Norway, where, in 1883, there were said to be 

 about one hundred near Arendal ; these have been 

 strictly protected and have therefore increased. 

 Formerly they existed in great numbers throughout 

 most parts of Europe, also in Asia, northern and 

 central. In Livonia as recently as 1724 they were 

 so abundant that they were considered a nuisance 

 and the last is said to have been killed in 1841. In 

 HoUand they were exterminated in 1825, while in 

 western Germany the MoseUe and the Maas were 

 noted for the number of beaver. In 1829 there 

 was a flourishing colony on the Elbe near Magde- 

 burg. 



In England and Wales the beaver was found up 

 to about the twelfth century ; the Welsh name was 

 Llost-Llydden, signifying broad-tail. The last 

 record of them in that country was, according to 

 Giraldus Cambrensis, in 1188, when they were 

 found in the Teivy, Cardiganshire. King Howel 

 Dda, who died in 948, fixed the price of beaver 

 skins at 120 pence, which shows how greatly they 

 were appreciated, as fox, wolf and stag were valued 

 at only eight pence. The beaver's name in England 

 has been perpetuated by very few places such as 

 Beaverage, Beverley, Beversbrook and Beaver- 

 bourne, in marked contrast to the United States 



