CHAPTER III. 



The Former Distribution op Castor Europ^us— Its Extermination 

 Coincident with the Spread op Civii,ization— The Beaver 

 Extinct in Britain within Historic Times. 



When we consider that the age of the European beaver extended 

 back to the days of the gigantic creatures spoken of in the last 

 chapter, and that its distribution once included all Europe, the 

 greater part of Asia, and northern Africa, we wonder, that we are 

 not better acquainted with it. The fact, however, that for over 

 two centuries, the hunting of beavers in America, yielded fortunes 

 to the monopolists who controlled the traffic, would naturally attract 

 the attention of the masses to the quarter of the world where these 

 riches were being gathered. Canada was justly called the home of 

 the beaver, but very incorrectly has it become popularly understood 

 that Canada was the only home. 



The peculiar association of the beaver with Solomon's wisdom, 

 which will be referred to hereafter, indicates reasonable grounds for 

 asserting that the beaver should have been mentioned in sacred writ ; 

 its remarkable characteristics had been noted long before the Chris- 

 tian era, and references to it are found in the hieroglyphics of the 

 Egyptians. 



The beaver has gradually disappeared before the spread of civili- 

 zation, which first settled along the shores of the Mediterranean. As 

 each wave covered more of Europe, the range wherein the beaver 

 existed perceptibly narrowed and the several stages through which 

 it has already passed in America, have all been witnessed in 

 Europe. Undoubtedly the animal was formerly very abundant in 

 Europe ; the next stage was the alarm caused by an apparent scar- 



