REBUILDING A BEAVER COLONY 139 
the side of the house, or bank of the pond, or 
on a log or boulder that is above the surface of 
the pond. If enemy appear the beaver in a 
second dives to safety. For the winter meal 
the beaver goes through the inclined tunnel 
from the house into the water. At the food pile 
he cuts off a short section of one of the aspens, 
takes this up into the house, and sits on the 
floor, which is above water level, to eat the bark. 
Two hundred and eight aspens were cut in 
the grove, dragged to the canal, floated down 
this and finally deposited in the pond. This 
made a large food supply for the winter. A 
little more than one half these were used, and 
the number of colonists fed probably was nine. 
Each spring beavers come out of winter quar- 
ters as early as possible and at once begin to use 
fresh food. If any of the winter food harvest 
remains canned in the water this is thrown out 
next autumn and used in dam and house repairs. 
Many old beaver colonies have a den in 
addition to the house, and others have a tunnel 
under the pond that comes out on shore some 
distance beyond the shoreline. This tunnel 
is sometimes used in winter while the pond is 
frozen over. But these new settlers were with- 
out tunnel or den. 
These beaver pioneers had founded a new 
home before winter came. The house was 
