136 WATCHED BY WILD ANIMALS 
Another evening four, and a part of the time 
five, beavers were pushing and dragging a log. 
When they at last pushed it into the canal one 
beaver with only one forepaw put, this fore- 
paw against the end of the log and conducted 
it down the canal. For safety for travel, and 
for transportation beavers need deep water. 
There is a social side, too, to life in these 
deep-water homes. Not only do beavers in- 
dulge in all kinds of water sports among them- 
selves, but they seem to make friends with some 
of their diving, swimming neighbours in other 
animal families. 
I had often heard that beavers ever war upon 
their little brother, the muskrat. The beavers 
in this colony did not. They continued to use 
the old repaired house until near the close of 
their harvesting. On their departure, appar- 
ently muskrats at once took possession. But 
the beavers often went back into the old house. 
One day I saw a beaver enter the house. 
There were a number of muskrats inside. I do 
not know the nature of his visit but there was 
no excitement. Another time a beaver turned 
aside and touched noses with a muskrat. Still 
another time a beaver playfully dived beneath 
a muskrat. As the beaver came up the musk- 
rat grabbed beaver fur with forepaws and sat 
down on the beaver’s back. Away swam the 
