DIMINUTIVE BEAVERS 27 



the thorns freely eaten. The branches selected have 

 been cut into lengths of two or three inches, and each 

 heap shows the location of a permanent camp. 



The long winter has been a severe trial for the 

 little world out of doors ; and the debris of so much 

 industry naturally prompts a feeling of pity for the 

 workers struggling with the problem of problems. 

 But sympathy is generally misplaced. It may be 

 that the great depth of snow was an assurance of 

 safety and comfort, allowing them to remain quietly 

 in their little camps while the great barking and 

 sniffing disturbers rushed noisily over their heads. 

 An energetic dog, running about on the snow, can 

 keep a whole multitude of these rodents on the move 

 in their burrows. The permanent camps of the past 

 winter may reveal a season of exceptional comfort 

 and leisure, with no intrusion from the meddlesome 

 world that moves in the daylight above the snow. 



