AMATEUR PHOTO BY f. I. CHURCH. 



AN ALDER 28 INCHES IN DIAMETER DROPPED BY BEAVER ON BANKS OF SKOKO- 



MISH RIVER. 



The tree, when felled, did not completely break from the stump, so the beavers cut it off 



again 2 feet farther up. 



thickness, but sagged toward the haunches. 

 Then the bark flew. Soon he was through 

 it and into the wood beneath. Stopping 

 about every 9 bites he dropped a mouth- 

 ful of chips and gave an occasional whine 

 at a chap who had come to assist him, but 

 which act of kindness he evidently resented,. 



"Now, then, look out below, she's going 

 to fall !" Crack, crack, crash ! and the 

 beavers who were awaiting the tree's doom, 

 to pounce on it, like darkies on a wood- 

 chuck, scattered to a safe distance till all 

 danger was over. 



"Ha! what's that, not down yet, eh?" 

 The tree bowed low, and, as though aware 

 of its impending doom, stretched forth its 

 branches and caught them in those of an- 

 other, which, together with the hold it still 

 retained of the stump, hung it in mid 

 air.. 



"Now," thought I, "you are done for, 

 Mr. Beaver. Surely nothing less than a 

 human being would have the sense to re- 

 turn to the stump and cut it clear but, "as 

 I live to tell the tale," that is exactly what 

 he did. 



Returning to the stump he raised himself 

 on his hind legs and gave 10 or 12 sharp 

 bites at the point of cutting, which brought 

 t e tree with a final crash to the ground. 

 To see this interesting sight I sat from 

 8.30 one evening till 3 o'clock the next 

 morning, and I consider I was well re- 

 paid. 



In a case where the tree is unusually 

 large, the portion still uncut will form a 

 mass of splintered wood when the tree 

 falls. This the beaver knows would hurt 

 his mouth and fill his teeth with splinters, 



were he to attempt to cut it clear from the 

 stump, so, beginning about a foot from the 

 first cut, he sets to work and soon the 

 tree drops flat on the ground. Then the 

 work of cutting it into lengths of about 5 

 feet and lopping off the branches proceeds. 

 Next comes the hauling of the timber to 

 the water, when it is back from the shore 

 some distance. I have yet to learn how the 

 large pieces are carried or dragged. Some 

 old trappers say that beavers carry it on 

 their backs, and that they carry wood 

 from the size of a rolling pin down, in 

 their teeth ; but, as hearsay has led to many 

 errors in natural history, I feel inclined to 



AMATEUR PHOTO BY R. C. LETTS. 



SAMPLE OF BEAVER CUTTING, 



