24 ROMANCE OF THE BEAVER 
growing, or with shredded wood, the latter being 
more frequently employed. In cutting this bed- 
ding, the beaver tears the wood into long strips as 
shown in the accompanying illustration. Whether 
or not moss is used, I cannot tell, but in the more 
eastern portion of the beavers’ range, I have never 
seen any in the lodges, nor have I seen the 
slightest evidence of its being gathered from the 
ground or trees. However, Mills say that “A 
few beds are made of grass, leaves, or moss from 
the ground or trees.” 
Occasionally, houses of immense size are found, 
the largest I have actually measured was in 
Newfoundland, on the banks of Sandy River. It 
was thirty-seven feet in its greatest diameter and 
seven feet in outside height. For about six years 
it had been the home of a colony of beavers, 
nine members or perhaps more having occupied it 
at one time. Lodges of this size are extremely 
rare, and I can find no record of any that were as 
large. What size the chamber was can only be 
conjectured; as I did not feel justified in breaking 
into the structure, much as 1 wished to see the 
interior. In the floor of the lodges are the entrances, 
there being usually two, but sometimes three or 
even more, their common size varying from ten to 
about twenty-five inches in diameter. The idea 
of having more than one is probably to allow of 
escape in case of some enemy finding its way in 
through one of the burrows. It also permits of 
