1897] Bæveren i Norge, dens Udbredelse og Levemaade. 123 



Voice. The Beaver utters but few sounds. During its au- 

 tumnal labours, it occasionally makes a sort of growl. The baby 

 Beaver's cry, which I had an opportunity of hearing in May 1896 r 

 resembles that of human infants, but is not often uttered. 



If it is closely chased it may give a peculiar wail of terror r 

 erect its tail, shake itself and exhibit its teeth more prominently 

 than otherwise. 



Breeding. On the 24th May 1896, I examined a lodge on 

 the Aaslandsø in Aamli (see p. 79), which contained three baby 

 Beaver about 14 days old. Their eyes had just commenced to 

 open, and they were probably born about the beginning of May. 

 Their entire length was 350 mm., breadth of tail 31 mm. 



I kept them alive for two days, but they exhibited great 

 inertness, were slow in their movements, never shewed any excite- 

 ment, and never attempted to escape. *) 



Other observations on its breeding conditions in this country 

 are not to hand. It has never been possible to obtain any infor- 

 mation on this point from the owners of those properties on whicb 

 the Beaver has lived for generations. 



In September and October, the young are of the size of an 

 adult eat; several such specimens are mounted in the University 

 Museum. 



Parasites. I have not as yet seen any Parasites on our Beaver- 



Amongst the hairs of one specimen from Aamli, I found the 



dried pupa of a Potamophilus, probably P. acuminatus, Fabr., which 



possibly shares the dw r elling with the Beaver. This insect 2 ) had 



hitherto been unknown in Norway or Denmark. 



Superstitions. The old idea that some individuals were com- 

 pelled to do the work of slaves by lying on their backs, acting as 

 a conveyance for the materials which were to be conveyed to the 

 lodge, and being dragged thither by the others, is founded on the 

 fact that, the hair on the back is often worn off from the indi- 

 vidual's stay in the narrow burrows. 



The power of the Beaver-gall to frighten away whales when 



1 ) Are exhibited as a group, with an old female, at the University Museum T 

 Christiania. 



2 ) Of the famity Parnidae, helonging to the group of pentamere Coleoptera^ 



