THE BEAVERS. 41 



THE BEAVERS, 



IN THE GARDENS OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



The Beaver is easily distinguished from all other quadrupeds by the peculiar appearance of its tail, which 

 is of an oval form, nearly flat, except on its upper surface, where it is slightly convex, entirely destitute 

 of hair except at the base, and marked with scaly divisions like the skin of a fish. The body is about 

 three feet long, and the tail about one foot. The general colour of the fur is a deep chestnut, but it 

 is sometimes found perfectly black, white, cream-coloured, or spotted. The beaver is found in most 

 of the northern parts of Europe and Asia, and is very abundant in North America, of which country 

 the animals now under our consideration are natives. 



The generic character of the beaver is, that the front teeth in the upper jaw are truncated, and hol- 

 lowed with a transverse angle; in the lower jaw the teeth are transverse at the tips. It has four 

 grinders oh each side ; the tail long, depressed, and scaly. The collar bones are in the skeleton. 

 There are only two species known, the Fiber, or common beaver, and the Huidrobius, or white 

 beaver. 



The beaver is not only an amphibious animal, but it is said to form the connecting link between 

 quadrupeds and fishes. Of all animals it is considered as possessing the greatest degree of natural 

 or instinctive sagacity in the construction of its habitation ; preparing, in concert with others of its 

 own species, a kind of arched caverns, or domes, supported by a foundation of strong pillars, and lined 

 or plastered internally with a degree of neatness and accuracy unequalled by the art of any other 

 quadruped. The favourite resorts of the beaver are retired watery and wooded situations, of which it 

 must have full and undisputed possession. The depth of the water must be such as to allow the animal 

 sufficient space to swim under the ice. The male and female with their young of one year old, called 

 by the Indians Peoys, form a family, which generally consists of six. These inhabit one cell ; but 

 when they arrive at the age of two years old, Paylems, they go off and build for themselves. 



The beavers begin to assemble in the month of June or July for the purpose of uniting into a 

 society. They arrive in great numbers from all quarters, and soon form a troop of 200 or 300. The 

 place of rendezvous is generally that which has been fixed upon for their establishment, and is always 

 on the banks of waters. In rivers or brooks, where the waters are subject to rise and fall, they build 

 a bank, thus forming a pond or piece of water, which remains always at the same height. The bank 

 traverses the river from one side to the other like a sluice, and is often from eighty to one hundred 

 feet long, by ten or twelve broad at the base. This pile for animals of so small a size appears to be 

 enormous, and the solidity with which the work is constructed is truly astonishing. If they find on 

 the margin a large tree, which can be made to fall into the water, they begin with cutting it down to 

 form the principal part of their work. The tree is often thicker than the body of a man. By gnawing 

 the foot of the tree with their four cutting teeth, these ingenious labourers accomplish their purpose in 

 a short time, and al ways make the tree fall across the river : they then cut the branches from the 

 trunk to make it be level. Several beavers are at the same time employed in traversing the banks 

 of the river to cut down smaller trees. These they dress, and cut to a certain length to make stakes 

 of them, and first drag them by land to the margin of the river, and then by water to the place where 



