PREKACK. 



ATRADITIONAI, knowledge of the beaver is the birthright 

 of every Canadian ; yet, as in most cases where tradition 

 alone is relied on, this knowledge is chiefly remarkable 

 for its divergence from facts. As the acorn, falHng on favorable 

 soil, sends forth the slender shoot, which time and circumstance 

 may model into a grotesque fetish for minds ignorant, or forget- 

 ful of the simplicity of its origin ; so, the facts of science, if 

 nurtured by tradition, soon lose shape, and multitudes venerate 

 the fabulous stories of dragon or beaver, with total disregard to 

 outraged reason. Iconoclasm must, therefore, do its work, dis- 

 tasteful as its spirit may be ; for rather should we add, than take 

 away one tittle of our nation's lore ; but such statements as can- 

 not stand the search-light test of truth, must rank as fable ; and 

 while our story may lose some of its glamour when studied 

 rationally, we surely do not need the chimerical to arouse our 

 interest. 



Canada has been known for nearly three centuries as "the 

 home of the beaver," and for over two hundred years this animal 

 contributed to Canada's most substantial advancement : inspiring 

 adventures, stimulating enterprize, and laying the strong founda- 

 tions of our commercial development. Thus has the beaver played 

 its part in the romance of our early history ; the central figure 

 around which waged the wars of nations, while powerful corpo- 



