124 The Beaver. 



can be observed by watcliing the young ones, whicli suffer their 

 fore-feet to drag by the side of the body, using only the hind-feet 

 to propel themselves through the vsrater. Before diving, the Beaver 

 gives a smart slap vs^ith its tail on the water, making a noise that 

 may be heard a considerable distance, but in swimming, the tail 

 is not seen to work, the animal being entirely submerged except 

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

 nothing like the speed of the otter, (Lutra Canadensis.) 



The Beavers cut a broad ditch all round their lodge, so deep 

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

 the holes already spoken of, through which they go in and out 

 and bring their food. The beds of these singular animals are se- 

 parated slightly from each other, and are placed around the wall, 

 or circumference of the interior of the lodge ; they are formed 

 merely of a few grasses, or the tender bark of trees : the space in 

 the centre of the lodge being left unoccupied. The Beavers usual- 

 ly go to the dam every evening to see if repairs are needed, and 

 to deposit their ordure in the water near the dam, or at least at 

 some distance from their lodge. 



They rarely travel by land, unless their dams have been carried 

 away by the ice, and even then they take the beds of the rivers or 

 streams for their roadway. In cutting down trees they are not al- 

 ways so fortunate as to have them fall into the water, or even 

 towards it, as the trunks of trees cut down by these animals are 

 observed lying in various positions ; although as most trees on the 

 margin of a stream or river lean somewhat towards the water, or 

 have their largest branches extended over it, many of those cut 

 down by the Beavers naturally fall in that direction. 



It is a curious fact, says our trapper, that among the Beavers 

 there are some that are lazy and will not work at all, either to 

 assist in building lodges or dams, or to cut down wood for their 

 winter stock. The industrious ones beat these idle fellows, and 

 drive them away ; sometimes cutting off a part of their tail, and 

 otherwise injuring them. These " Paresseux" are more easily 

 caught in traps than the others, and the trapper rarely misses one 

 of them. They only dig a hole from the water running obliquely 

 towards the surface of the ground twenty-five or thirty feet, from 

 which they emerge when hungry, to obtain food, returning to the 

 same hole with the wood they procure, to eat the bark. 



They never form dams, and are sometimes to the number of five 

 or seven together ; all are males. It is not at all improbable, that 



