96 Field and Forest Rambles. 



traces behind him such as few, if any, quadrupeds have done. 

 Although now verging towards extinction, it was at one time 

 very common in the United States and Canada, as shown 

 by the numerous meadows teeming with grass that were 

 formed by the creature ; indeed, as regards New Brunswick, 

 there are few rivers that have not numerous old beaver dams, 

 which produce excellent crops of hay, and furnish a feature 

 of the landscape. In the remote wilderness districts the 

 beavers are said to be somewhat increasing, but only here and 

 there. Like the Indian and the Deer tribe, all will before 

 long be creatures of the past ; and whilst the man will leave 

 no useful trace of his handicraft behind, the beaver — 

 the more intelligent animal in one or two respects, (to wit, 

 diligence and providence)— has thus built a monument of its 

 industry which will last for ages.* 



The MUSK Rat, or Musquash of the Indians, although very 

 common, and much persecuted, has managed to linger on 

 even in the vicinity of towns. I was frequently struck by the 



* The Hon. Sir A. Gordon, in the article referred to, in recording his 

 observations of the beavers on the river Restigouche, gives the following 

 interesting account of one of the animal's store depots. " But though we 

 did not see a single beaver, we saw signs of their habitation and modes 

 of life, which I confess I almost hesitate to set down, lest I should be 

 thought to tell a traveller's tale. At some little distance from the beaver 

 camp, down the stream, was a regular path, beaten quite hard, and 

 evidently by these animals ; for though the path was well defined, it was 

 nowhere cleared for more than a foot or so from the ground. This led to a 

 regular storehouse of wood, where a number of birch-logs, for winter food, 

 about the thickness of a man's arm, were piled side by side and on each 

 other, each about eighteen inches long, and cut with perfect regularity to 

 the same length. That the deposit had been formed by beavers there 

 could be no doubt, but what their object was in making such a store at a 

 distance from their dwellings, or why they should have taken as much 

 trouble to equalize the length of their logs, and pile them neatly, as the 

 best lumberers would their cord wood, I am at a loss to guess." Perhaps 

 this was a reserve store in the vicinity of the regular depot, and lodges. 

 I was informed of a similar example on the Tobique river, and can only 

 account for them on the supposition that the beavers having filled up 

 their storehouse in the dam, and finding there might not be enough for 

 winter, formed the reserves at any easy distance. 



