70 CASTOROLOGIA. 



as if to take a refreshing bath. Again he came out with renewed 

 energy, and with his powerful teeth gouged away all round the 

 trunk. This process continued till about four o'clock, when sud- 

 denly he left off and came hastily towards the iron fence, to the 

 surprise of those who were watching his movements. The cause of 

 this interruption was soon explained ; he had heard in the distance 

 the sound of the wheelbarrow, which, as usual, is brought daily to 

 his paddock, and from which he was anxiously waiting to receive 

 his supper. Not wishing to disappoint the animal, but at the same 

 time regretting that he was thus unexpectedly stopped in his deter- 

 mination to bring down this massive piece of timber, his usual 

 allowance of carrots and bread were given to him ; and from this 

 time until half-past five he was engaged in taking his meal and 

 swimming about in his pond. At half -past five, however, he returned 

 to his tree, which by this time was reduced in the centre to about 

 two inches in diameter. To this portion he applied his teeth with 

 great earnestness, and in ten minutes afterwards it fell suddenly 

 with great force upon the ground. 



" It was an interesting sight to witness the adroit and skilful 

 manner in which the last bite or two were given on the side on which 

 the tree fell, and the nimble movement of the animal to the opposite 

 side at the moment, evidently to avoid being crushed beneath it. 

 Upon examining the end of the separated tree, it was found that 

 only one inch in diameter was uncut ; and it was of course due to 

 the nearly erect position in which the tree was put into the ground 

 that it stood balanced, as it were, upon this slender stem. After 

 carefully walking along its entire length as it lay on the ground, 

 and examining every part, he commenced to cut off about two feet 

 of its length, and by seven o'clock the next morning he had divided 

 it into three pieces : two of these he had removed into the pond, and 

 one was used in the under part of his house. 



" The beaver, the subject of the foregoing remarks, was presented 

 to the Society by the Hudson's Bay Company, in the autumn of 

 1861, and was probably then about six months old. It is, no doubt, 

 less vigorous than the large wild animals of this species, who would, 



