HISTORY OF THE ADIRONDACK BEAVER. 417 



For purposes of comparison, to show the rate of decrease and later 

 increase of the beaver, the following table is here presented: 



Number of Wild Beavers in Northern New York During Three Hundred Years 



(Estimated) 



1609 (At coming of white man) 1,000,000 



1S00 5,000 



1820 1 , 000 



1830 500 



1840 250 



1850 100 



i860 60 



1870 30 



1880 25 



1885 20 



1890 • 15 



1895 5 or 10 



19°° J 5 



1905 4° 



i9°6 75 



1907 . 100 



1908 150 



1909 (Three hundred years after coming of white man) ? 



There are probably as many beavers to-day in the North Woods of 

 Xew York as there were in 1850. — fifty-seven years ago, — and more than 

 in i860. They are already becoming widely distributed, and are making 

 their appearance on many streams which have not known the presence 

 of a beaver, or shown any marks of their occupancy, for over half a century. 



What the future of the Adirondack beaver will be — whether, aided 

 by the wise policy of restoration happily begun by the State, and supported 

 by a friendly spirit of co-operation on the part of the people, he will con- 

 tinue to increase in numbers, ultimately obtaining to something like his 

 former abundance, — it is, of course, impossible to predict, as there are so 

 many unforeseen circumstances which may arise at any time to alter the 

 present course of events affecting the progress of the experiment. Thus 

 far, it has enjoyed unanimous approval and support, except upon the part 

 of a few lawless and unprincipled trappers (fortunately inconsiderable in 



