THE BEAVERS OF NORTH AMERICA 9 
places had to be filled in with sod and mud. The 
young assisted in this work, each bringing his small 
load and arranging it as he had seen his parents do. 
Occasionally, the family stopped work altogether 
and took time to nibble a little bark from some 
particularly tempting branch. Then a very impor- 
tant work demanded attention. The cutting of 
trees and gathering of the winter supply of food. 
On this must depend their safety during the cold 
weather. A few days ago, they had felled a large 
birch tree which had dropped on the edge of the 
pond. Already they had cut off many of the most 
accessible branches and now they continued the 
work of stripping the trunk of its limbs. Some 
were so large that it was necessary to cut them 
into several sections, their length depending on the. 
thickness. As each piece was cut through with 
their keen-edged teeth, it was floated across the 
water to the pile near the house. In swimming, 
the beaver held the branch with his teeth, and on 
arriving at the food pile, he would take a fresh grip 
with his teeth and dive down carrying the branch 
with him. Then the whole pile would tremble 
slightly as he forced the piece into the tangled mass 
of sticks, well below the surface of the water. 
Trip after trip was made in this manner, each trip 
adding its mite to the great supply of winter food, 
and while the young were thus engaged one of the 
old ones was up in the woods searching for a fresh 
tree to cut down. 
