128 



1875. Castor (fiber var.f) canadensis, Coues and Yarrow, Wheeler's Expl. 

 and Surveys west 100th Merid., v, Zool., 1S75, 123 (Colorado, 

 Utah, and Arizona). 



Geographical Distribution. — The Beaver formerly existed along the sea- 

 board to northern Florida, and in Texas to the Rio Grande. Its northern 

 limit is apparently that of the forests ; it extends to the Barren Grounds 

 and is abundant in Alaska. 



Its present range is much less extended; few are found east of the 

 Mississippi south of the Great Lakes. They remain in northern Maine 

 and New York, and according to an article in " Forest and Stream," 

 November 2, 1876, they are trapped profitably in portions of Virginia. 

 Their former abundance through the Ohio region and west to the Pacific 

 is well attested; the names Beaver Creek, Beaver Dam, etc., are sugges- 

 tive of their occurrence in Ohio and Indiana. Mr. Langdon says in his 

 notes : " Indefinitely reported from the north-west portion of the State." 

 From "Atwater's History of Ohio" (1838), the following: "Beavers 

 were once here in, large numbers on the high lands at the heads of our 

 rivers, but, with those who caught them, they have long since disap- 

 peared from among us." From the " Pioneer History of the Ohio Valley," 

 Hildreth, 1848: "The Beaver disappeared in a great measure from this 

 part of the country with their friends and admirers, the Indians." From 

 "History of the State of Ohio," Jas. W. Taylor, 1854: "Beaver Creek, 

 near a little lake two miies long and one mile wide, and a remarkable 

 place for Beaver." 



Prof M. V. B. Knox states that this species is becoming scarce in East- 

 ern Kansas. In that State it seldom builds dams, but lives under over- 

 hanging banks and roots, and does much damage to timber along the 

 streams."* 



The writer has observed their work on the margin of Drummond 

 Island and in the Sault St.. Mary, where Foft timber trees like the cotton- 

 wood and willow were gnawed smoothly off just above the level of the 

 •ground. Occasionally a tree bad fallen to the land instead of into the 

 water, although trees leaning to the water are usually selected. In such 

 cases the bark was not gnawed from the trunk or branches, as is done 

 when the trees fall into the water. Pieces are found gnawed into cord- 

 wood lengths, evidently that they might be readily dragged away to the 

 underground burrows. 



Description. — Body thick, heavy, depressed, enlarging posteriorly, broad- 

 est near the hips; head large and broad; nostrils lateral, divided; ears 



' Transactions Kansas Academy of Science, vol. 4, 1875, p. 21. 



