AMERICAN BEAVER. 351 



feet wide at the bottom, but are built up with the sides inclining towards 

 each other, so as to form a narrow surface on the top. They are occa- 

 sionally as much as three hundred yards in length, and often extend be- 

 yond the bed of the stream in a circular form, so as to overflow all the 

 timber near the margin, which the Beavers cut down for food during 

 winter, heap together in large quantities, and so fasten to the shore 

 under the surface of the water, that even a strong current cannot tear 

 it away ; although they generally place it in such a position that the 

 current does not pass over it. These piles or heaps of wood are placed 

 in front of the lodges, and when the animal wishes to feed he proceeds 

 to them, takes a piece of wood, and drags it to one of the small holes 

 near the principal entrance running above the water, although beneath 

 the surface of the ground. Here the bark is devoured at leisure, and 

 the wood is afterwards thrust out, or used in repairing the dam. These 

 small galleries are more or less abundant according to the number of 

 animals in the lodges. The larger lodges are, in the interior, about 

 seven feet in diameter, and between two and three feet high, resembling 

 a great oven. They are placed near the edge of the water, although 

 actually built on or in the ground. In front, the Beavers scratch away 

 the mud to secure a depth of \vater that will enable them to sink 

 their wood deep enough to prevent its being impacted in the ice when 

 the dam is frozen over, and also to allow them always free egress from 

 their lodges, so that they may go to the dam and repair it if necessary. 

 The top of the lodge is formed by placing branches of trees matted with 

 mud, grasses, moss, &c., together, until the whole fabric measures on 

 the outside from twelve to twenty feet in diameter, and is six or eight 

 feet high, the size depending on the nmnber of inhabitants. The out- 

 ward coating is entirely of mud or earth, and smoothed off as if plaster- 

 ed with a trowel. As Beavers, however, never work in the day-time, no 

 person we believe has yet seen ho^v they perform their task, or give 

 this hard-finish to their houses. This species does not use its fore-feet 

 in swimming, but for carrying burthens : this can be observed by watch- 

 ing the young ones, which suffer their fore-feet to drag by the side of the 

 body, using only the hind-feet to propel themselves through the water. 

 Before diving, the Beaver gives a smart slap with its tail on the water, 

 making a noise that may be heard a considerable distance, but in swim- 

 ming, the tail is not seen to work, the animal being entirely submerged 

 except the nose and part of the head ; it swims fast and well, but with 

 nothing like the speed of the otter, {Liitra Canadensis.) 



The Beavers cut a broad ditch all around their lodge, so deep that it 

 cannot freeze to the bottom, and into this ditch they make the holes 



