WILD ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY 



May 26, 1883. I had no difficulty in describing and 

 talking of the birds and other animals exhibited until I 

 came upon the beavers ; here, however, I felt somewhat 

 perplexed to find any kind of cause for the introduction of 

 the beavers. This, however, I got over as follows : — 



" It may be asked, however, by some one acquainted with 

 the subject — What have the beavers to do with fish or 

 fishing ? as they eat not fish, but are, strictly speaking, 

 vegetarians, feeding upon leaves, tender branches and the 

 bark of trees, grass and roots. • The answer to this inquiry- 

 may be that the beavers perform, and have performed many 

 very important changes in the rivers in various parts of 

 the world. Their habit of gnawing down trees, which 

 they cause to fall across the streams they inhabit, and, 

 like skilful engineers, dam up the rivers, and thus, by 

 forming lakes and diverting the overflow to parts of the 

 country previously dry, both water and fish become 

 distributed." 



The beavers have bred in the Gardens for many years, 

 but I must confess to total ignorance as to the condition 

 of the young at birth, nor have I been able to ascertain or 

 find from any works on Natural History that have been 

 within my reach a solution of the subject. 



Beavers belong to the family of Bodentia, or gnawing 

 animals. They may possibly produce their young in a 

 very perfect form and condition, as many of this family do. 

 For instance, the coypu rat, all the cavies, and the common 

 hare produce their young in the most perfect condition, 

 covered with fur, eyes open, feeding and running about 

 some few hours after birth ; whereas a large number of 

 the same family, Bodentia, produce their young in a very 

 imperfect state ; they being naked, blind, and remaining in 

 the nest for from fifteen to twenty days before they are 

 able to crawl about. The common rat, mouse, rabbit and 



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