THE 



CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



AND 



&smmi<@A$r mTO^m stomps* 



THE BEAVER. 



CASTOR FIBER. 



[Vol. III. Plate I.] 



Castor Fiber, Godman, vol. ii. p. 21. Sabine, app. p. 

 659. Say. Long's Expedition to the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, i. p. 464. — Le Castor ou le Bievre, Briss. Regn. 

 an. p. 133. — Le Castor, Buff. viii. pi. 36. — Philadelphia 

 Museum. 



There is no animal, native of North America, so in- 

 teresting and valuable as the Beaver; and it is equally 

 certain, that few animals of the world have been so much 

 admired and extolled, and, at the same time, have had so 

 large a share of intelligence imputed to them more unjust- 

 ly. But, with all the importance attached to the animal, 

 how much ignorance exists of its true character. 



If we examine the opinions of men on this subject, we 

 see at once how deeply wrong impressions have become 

 rooted by pondering over the fictitious histories of the 

 Beaver, — or more particularly being influenced, in early 

 youth, by the fabulous stories of the animal, framed as 

 truth, and admitted into the various seminaries of learn- 

 ing. Here we find the Beaver placed at the head of all 

 inferior creatures for sagacity and intelligence, and en- 

 dowed with intellectual qualities superior to many nations 

 or tribes of human beings. 



This undoubtedly is error, and to overturn it must be 

 the work of time and truth, by the introduction, into 

 schools and families, of authentic histories of the animal. 



It is, however, no trifling undertaking, to establish 

 truth on prejudicial error, or attack the writings of the 

 learned and eloquent, which have filled the world with 

 theories or false statements, wrought up by ingenuity to 

 almost sublimity. 



Among the modern writers on Natural History, none 

 seems to have exerted so general an influence as the 



A 



"Count Buffon," who appears to have been regarded, 

 by most of his successors, as authority substantial and in- 

 dubitable. Under these impressions, many writers have 

 quoted his history of the Beaver, and transmitted it 

 through successive years to the present time, with little 

 contradiction. Among those who followed Buffon's track, 

 may be named Pennant, author of the British and Arctic 

 Zoology, who, in the "history of his quadrupeds has 

 transcribed the whole of his observations on the habits of 

 the Beaver, from Buffon." Smellie, also, in his Philoso- 

 phy of Natural History, (a work now used in many 

 schools both in England and America,) has quoted the 

 same author verbatim. Among the opponents of the 

 foregoing author, and indeed of most other writers on the 

 subject of the Beaver, the most formidable is Hearne, 

 whose testimony will be adduced in the sequel of this 

 treatise, and Capt. G. Cartwright, in his journal of trans- 

 actions, &c. on the Labrador coast, published in 1792. 

 Dr. Godman, also, attacks the same with the following 

 severe remarks: — " Who has not heard of the wonderful 

 sagacity of the Beaver, or listened to i laboured ac- 

 counts of its social and rational nature . Who that has 

 read the impassioned eloquence of Buffon, to which nothing 

 is wanting but truth in order to render it sublime, can 

 forget the impression which his views of the economy and 

 character of this species produced ? The enchanter waves 

 his wand, and converts animals, congregated by instinct 

 alone, and guided by no moral influence, into social, ra- 

 tional, intelligent beings, superior to creatures high above 

 them in organization, and even far more advanced than 

 vast tribes of that race which has been justly and em- 

 phatically termed ' lords of creation.' Alas, for all these 

 air-drawn prospects! while we endeavour to gaze upon 

 their beauties, they fleet away, and leave no trace behind." 

 Many living witnesses can also be produced, whose evi- 

 dence is derived from actual observation, against the 

 falsity of those statements of the habits of the Beaver, 

 which heretofore have only been regarded in the light of 

 authenticity. 



