104 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



plete inaction, though at perfect liberty in the midst of ar 

 small court, where it might have found every thing neces- 

 sary for his purpose, had it been induced to build. What, 

 perhaps, was still more extraordinary was, that it shunned 

 the water, and never entered a little basin that was dug 

 for it, either to bathe or moisten its aliments like the 

 Otters. But it was not fond of being alone ; it constantly 

 endeavoured to approach those persons who took care of 

 it, and passed almost the whole of its time in sleeping. 

 It lived thus many months in excellent health, eating little, 

 hardly ever drinking, and giving no manifestation of any 

 sentiment. During all this time it exhibited neither joy, 

 anger, nor desires of any kind ; for its wants themselves 

 had scarcely sufficient power to withdraw it from its- 

 lethargic state. Sometimes it emitted a very soft and 

 feeble sound, most usually when it seemed annoyed at 

 being touched, or was desirous of following the persons 

 who quitted it. It replied by some sound when it was 

 called ; for it had learned to recognise its name, or rather 

 the voice of his master, a circumstance which places it 

 far above many others of the Rodentia, which are genuine 

 examples of stupidity. Its want of intellectual activity, 

 and the enfeeblement of its' instinctive dispositions, must 

 be attributed to its captivity, but more especially to its do- 

 mestication, in a period of extreme youth. Nothing, in 

 fact, can more completely arrest the development of the 

 instinctive faculties, than the gratification of every want 

 and every desire, and the possession of perfect security; 

 the muscles of the body require motion to develop them, 

 and the powers of the mind exertion. 



On the organization of the Beaver it would be super- 

 fluous to add much to the Baron's description. The teeth 

 already described, have the faculty of growing by their own 

 power of development during the life of the animal. The 

 hinder toes are palmate, and the fore are free and provided 



