252 THROUGH THE MACKENZIE BASIN 



napkins. They also ornament bark rogans and other birch 

 articles, women and children's dresses, and the front uppers 

 of leather moccasins therewith. Mr. P. Deschambeanlt says 

 that he believes both species exist in the hunting grounds 

 of the Isle a la Crosse (English River District) and Lac du 

 Brochet (Cumberland District). 



Beavee — Castor canadensis Kuhl. 



This well-known and valuable fur animal has been so 

 fully described by travellers, as well as naturalists, that it 

 is by no means easy to add matter of interest to its history. 

 I shall, however, venture to submit a few items bearing 

 thereon. From a consensus of statements and opinions 

 elicited by me from the examination of aged Chipewyans 

 of Athabasca, and Carrier Indians of New Caledonia, Brit- 

 ish Columbia, I believe that the sexes copulate in the 

 months of January .and February, and that the young are 

 brought forth in April and May following. The period of 

 gestation is about three months. The young are born blind 

 and are very helpless, but both sight and strength are duly 

 acquired and they soon display much activity. They are 

 suckled for some weeks, but early learn to feed on succulent 

 stems and the tender roots of aquatic and other plants. The 

 most prolific females are those of middle age, and they 

 annually produce from four to five and six at a birth, while 

 instances of as many as seven and even eight are not infre- 

 quent on Peace River. Chief Trader Moberly has known 

 of two cases, in one of which the female had eight and in 

 the other nine little ones. A Chipewyan hunter also assured 

 me that he once found as many as nine well-formed embryos 

 in the uterus of a female killed by him on the Lower Peace 

 River. Both tribes state that the female beaver seldom or 

 never has young before the third year, and tha,t there are 

 only one or two cuJbs at first, but more the following seasons. 

 After attaining a certain stage in life the birth rate begins 

 to decline. The adult beaver subsists on various roots, pop- 



