THE BEAVER. 55 



build and enlarge the house, cutting their way up 

 and forming their chamber or chambers inside, until it 

 had now attained the following dimensions at the 

 surface of the water (which is here about four feet 

 deep), viz. : — height about five feet, length and 

 breadth about nine feet, having a door at both sides 

 placed at the bottom of the water so as to prevent 

 their natural enemies from following them, chief 

 among which is the wolverine, although happily for 

 both them and us there are none of these here to 

 disturb them. 



" It is out of the water they take the materials with 

 which they build their house. Were the sides of 

 the house perpendicular they could not land ; to 

 obviate that difficulty they built a slip from two to 

 three feet broad at its base, except where the doors 

 are, so that they can land easily, and if they wish to 

 enlarge the house they have got the foundation 

 ready. To secure them against the winter storms, 

 they commence about the middle of September and 

 give their house a coat of mud all over. It is with 

 the mouth and forefeet, which are formed more like 

 hands than feet, that they convey the materials of 

 which their embankment and house are made. They 

 do not use their tail, as was at one time said, for 

 plastering on the mud, but their forefeet, with which 

 they very carefully stow it in among the sticks. As 

 to what they use for a bed to lie on, it is wood 

 shavings, which they prepare in the following manner. 

 After using the bark for food, they then place the 

 stick on end, holding it with both feet a bit apart 



