3^ 



AMERICAN BEAVER. 



SYNONYMES. 



Castor Fiber, Linn., I2th ed., p. 78. 



Castor, Sagard Theodat, Canada, p. 767. 



Beaver, Castor, Pennant, Arc. Zool., vol. i., p. 98. 



Castor Ordinaire, Desm., Mamm. 



Castor Americanus, F. Cuvier. 



Castor Fiber. Levpis and Clarke's E.xpedition, vol. i. 



The Beaver, Hearne's Journal, vol. viii., p. 245, 



Beaver, Cartwright's Journal, vol. i., p. 62. 



" Catesby, App., p. 29. 

 Castor Fiber, Harlan, Fauna, p. 122. 



" " Godman, vol. ii., p. 21. 



" " Americanus, Richardson, F. B. A., p. 105. 



" " Emmons, Mass. Reports, p. 51. 



" " Dekay, pi. 1, p. 72. 



DESCRIPTIOIf. 



The shape of the body bears a considerable resemblance to that of the 

 musk-rat ; it is, however, much larger, and the head is proportionally 

 thicker and broader. It is thick and clumsy, gradually enlarging from 

 the head to the hips, and then is somewhat abruptly rounded off to the 

 root of the tail. 



Nose, obtuse and divided ; eyes, small ; ears, short, rounded, well 

 clothed with fur, and partially concealed by the longer surrounding 

 hairs ; moustaches, not numerous, but very rigid like hogs' bristles, 

 reaching to the ears ; neck, rather short. The fur is of two kinds. 

 The upper and longer hair is coarse, smooth, and glossy ; the under coat 

 is dense, soft, and silky. Fore-feet, short and rather slender ; toes, well 

 separated and very flexible. The fore-feet are used like hands to convey 

 food to the mouth. The fore-claws are strong, compressed, and chan- 

 nelled beneath. The middle toe is the longest, those on each side a 

 little shorter, and the outer and inner ones shortest. 



The hind-feet bear some resemblance to those of the goose. They are 

 ■webbed beyond the roots of the nails, and have hard and callous soles. 

 In most of the specimens we have seen, there is a double nail on the 

 second inner toe. The palms and soles are naked. When walking, the 

 whole heel touches the ground. The Beaver is accustomed to rest itself 

 on its hind-feet and tail ; and when in this sitting position contracts its 

 fore-claws in the manner of the left hand figure represented in the plate. 

 The upper surface of all the feet, with the exception of the nails, which 

 are naked, is thickly covered with short adpressed hairs 



