33 



THE BEAVER. 



Castor fiber. 



There is no reason to doubt that, within historic 

 times, the Beaver was an inhabitant of Britain, 

 although, like the Bear, the Wolf, and the Wild Boar, 

 it has long been exterminated before the advance of 

 civilization. 



The earliest notice we find of it is contained in 

 the code of Welsh laws made by Howel Dha 

 (a.d. 940), and which, unlike the ancient Saxon codes 

 and the Irish Senchus Mor, contains many quaint 



