THE BEAVERS OF NORTH AMERICA 51 
used. Nearly all of the deciduous or broad-leaved 
trees supply food for the beaver, but the: most 
sought-after are perhaps the different birches, 
maples, poplars, willows and ashes—to a less extent, 
alder, viburnum, dog-wood, wild cherry and others 
according to the locality. ‘The bark of the conifers 
is not much used, some authorities say that it is 
never eaten, yet the trees are frequently cut down 
by the beaver. I have seen several instances, but 
none of them had any of the branches cut off. 
From Indians and trappers, I have been told that 
immediately before the young are born or about 
that time, the prospective mother eats a small 
amount of spruce, pine or other conifer bark, which 
they believe to have some medicinal property. 
During the spring and summer, many kinds of 
roots and berries are eaten, and at all seasons the 
roots of water-lily and spatterdock are used. In 
certain districts these form the main supply even 
during the winter, when the beaver come out of 
the lodges, and beneath the ice gather the roots as 
they are needed and take them into their houses to 
eat. From this habit has come the curious super- 
stition that a beaver if shot in the evening sinks, 
while if shot in the morning he floats, because he is 
filled with the light, pithy substance of the lily root 
which has been eaten during the night. Needless 
to say, this is scarcely likely to be true, though, 
as I have never shot a beaver, I cannot speak 
from actual experience. Now it will be noted 
E2 
