126 TJie Beaver. 



cause it is drowned before it has had time to think of this method 

 of saving itself froiii the hunter. When trapping under other cir- 

 cumstances, the trap is placed within five or six inches of the shore, 

 and about the same distance below the surface of the water, secur- 

 ed and baited as usual. If caught, the Beavers now and then cut 

 oflf the foot by which they are held, in order to make their escape. 



A singular habit of the Beaver was mentioned to us by the trap- 

 per, Prevost, of which we do not recollect Laving before heard- 

 He said that when two Beaver lodges are in the vicinity of each 

 other, the animals proceed from one of them at night to a certain 

 spot, deposit their castoreum, and then return to their lodge. 

 The Beavers in the other lodge, scenting this, repair to the same 

 spot, cover it over with earth, and then make a similar deposit on 

 the top. This operation is repeated by each party alternately un- 

 til quite a mound is raised, sometimes to the height of four or five 

 feet. 



The strong musky substance contained in the glands of the 

 Beaver, is called castoreum ; by trappers, bark-stone ; with this 

 the traps are baited. A small stick, four or five inches long, is 

 chewed at one end, and that part dipped in the castoreum, which 

 is generally kept in a small horn. The stick is then placed with 

 the anointed end above water, and the other end downwards. The 

 Beaver can smell the castoreum at least one hundred yards, makes 

 towards it at once, and is generally caught. 



Where Beavers have not been disturbed or hunted, and are abun- 

 dant, they rise nearly half out of water at the first smell of the 

 castoreum, and become so excited that they are heard to cry aloud, 

 and breathe hard to catch the odour as it floats on the air. A good 

 trapper used to catch about eighty Beavers in the autumn, sixty or 

 seventy in the spring, and upwards of three hundred in the sum- 

 mer^ in the mountains ; taking occasionally as many as five hun- 

 dred in one year. Sixty or seventy Beaver skins are required to 

 make a pack weighing one hundred pounds ; which, when sent to 

 a good market, is worth, even now, from three to four hundred 

 dollars. 



It is stated by some authors that the Beaver feeds on fish. We 

 doubt whether he posesses this habit, as we on several occasions 

 placed fish before those we saw in captivity, and although they 

 were not very choice in their food, and devoured any kind of ve- 

 getable, and even bread, they in every case sufi'ered fish to remain 

 untouched in their cages. 



