THE BBAVEK. 415 



are continually strengthened with mud and branchea, so that, 

 during the severe frosts, they are nearly as hard as solid stone. 

 Each lodge will accommodate several inhabitants, whose beds 

 are arranged round the walls. 



All these precautions are, however, useless against the prac- 

 tised skill of the trappers. Even in winter time the Beavers are 

 not safe. The hunters strike the ice smartly, and judge by the 

 sound whether they are near an aperture. As soon as they are 

 satisfied, they cut away the ice and stop up the opening, so that 

 if the Beavers should be alarmed, they cannot escape into the 

 water. They then proceed to the shore, and by repeated sound- 

 ings, trace the course of the Beavers' subterranean passage, which 

 is sometimes eight or ten yards in length, and by watcliing the 

 various apertures are sure to catch the inhabitants. This is not a 

 favourite task with the hunters, and is never undertaken as long 

 as they can find any other employment, for the work is very 

 severe, the hardships are great, and the price which they obtain 

 for the skins is now very small. 



"While they are thus engaged, they must be very careful not to 

 spill any blood, as if they do so, the rest of the Beavers take 

 alarm, retreat to the water, and cannot be captured. They also 

 have a curious superstitious notion, which leads them to remove 

 a knee-cap from each Beaver and to throw it into the fire. They 

 would expect ill-luck were they to omit this ceremony, which is 

 wonderfully like the custom of our fishermen of spitting into the 

 mouth of the first fish they catch, and on the first money which 

 they take in the day, " for luck." 



Generally, the Beavers desert their huts iu the summer time, 

 although one or two of the houses may be occupied by a mother 

 and her young offspring. All the old Beavers who have no domestic 

 ties to chain them at home, take to the water, and swim up and 

 down the stream at liberty, until the month of August, when 

 they return to their homes. There are, also, certain individuals 

 called by the trappers " les paresseux," or idlers, which do not 

 live in houses, and make no dam, but abide in subterranean 

 tunnels like those of our common water rat, to which they are 

 closely allied. These "paresseux'' are always males, and it 

 sometimes happens that several will inhabit the same tunnel. 

 The trapper is always pleased when he finds the habitation of 

 an idler, as its capture is a comparatively easy task. 



