174 ROMANCE OF THE BEAVER 
order that the supply of growing trees be not too 
rapidly depleted, some scraps of brush or poles 
could be given occasionally. Sir Edmund Loder 
has a very ingenious scheme for feeding the small 
colony of beaver that he keeps in his fascinating 
place in Sussex. A small hole filled with several 
large stones serves as a holder for trees or poles or 
even stout branches, so that the beaver, in order to 
obtain the bark, must cut it down just as they 
would if it were a growing tree. Unfortunately 
most of this colony was carried away by a great 
flood, the animals being eventually killed in the 
sea by fishermen who were much puzzled by seeing 
such unusual creatures swimming about in the 
harbour. All large trees in a beaver enclosure 
must be very carefully protected, for no matter how 
large they may be, the beaver will girdle them and 
eat the bark. Most of the work done by the 
animals in their wild state will be almost equally 
well done in captivity, so that a small beaver colony 
is always an object of intense interest and may be 
maintained at comparatively small cost in money 
and labour. 
It is to be hoped that as people realise more 
fully the interest and value of these animals they 
will take steps for their protection in all countries 
suited to their needs. It would indeed be a shame 
to see such creatures exterminated. There would 
be nothing to take their place, and I find wherever 
I go, and whatever class and age of people I am 
