NOTES OF A FUR HUNTER. 663 
much use of it in diving. In trapping, we take care not 
to drive the beavers away from the pond before it freezes ; 
after it freezes they leave very reluctantly. We bait with 
swamp maple or mountain ash. We tie the trap to a dry 
spruce stake, which they will not gnaw. 
The beaver weighs from twenty-five to sixty pounds ; 
the latter weight is very large. A good beaver-skin 
weighs from one to three pounds; price now $2.50 a 
pound. 
I think the beaver gets the oil from the “oilstone” on 
to his fur by letting it out into the water around, whence 
it is caught on the fur. I use the “castors” to attract the 
béavers. 
Muskrat (Fiber zibethicus Cuv.). The muskrat lives 
in hollows in banks of streams, and also in houses. Eats 
roots, grass, and clams. 
Porcurme (Erethizon dorsatus F. Cuv.). The porcu- 
pine lives in winter on bark. It eats grass; will eat green 
corn when it can get it; it is very fond of salt; will even 
gnaw through pork barrels to get the salt. It has been 
known to get into the cellar and take milk. It is destruc- 
tive to boots and rigging and tools, where any salt has 
been left on them. 
Moose (Alce Americanus Jardine). Moose move over 
but a small district in a winter’s day, four or five miles ; 
sometimes in a thaw they move farther. When their 
tracks are obliterated by the snow, I often track them in 
this way: I notice the side of the tree from which they 
have taken the bark. This was the first side of the tree 
they came to; they then moved on and took the bark 
from the first side they come to of another tree, and thus 
left a.“blaze” behind them. Sometimes when the old 
cow lies down, the calf will eat the bark all around the 
