154 



ON THE GENUS LUTRA 



ice chisels, they found the lodge empty. The lodge being large, 

 I was able to descend into it, and crawl about on all-fours. At 

 tbe door, situated opposite the middle of the little shoal-lake in 

 which the beavers had built, I found vestiges of old cut willows 



Figure 1. 

 L. destructor ; top view of skull three-fourths natural size. 



scarcely thicker than the fingers. The door had been under water, 

 but the floor rose towards the centre of the house, so that 

 it must have been partially dry in summer. The ice was at its 

 upper surface higher than the opening or door towards the lake, 



Figure 2. 

 L. destructor; side view of skull three-fourths natural size. 



but the water having either retired or been drawn off, it was hollow 

 beneath ; and although the situation was shoal, a beaver never- 

 theless could have crept under. I was much interested about the 

 structure of the lodge, and especially with one or two niches in 

 the wall, a little above the level of the floor, which I looked 



