*6 NATURAL HI STO R Y of N RW A T. 



SECT. XV. 



Beaver. Bsever, Caftor, a Beaver, is an amphibious animal : it lives in 



water as well as on land, and feeks its food generally in ftill 

 or gently running water. It is found in this country moftly in 

 Solloer, Ofterdalen, and Jemteland. Its fhape is like a long- 

 bodied dog, with fhort legs, a fhort and flat head, finall round 

 ears and eyes, a large, thick, and fmooth tail, confifting of many 

 joints. This part of the Beaver fome call a delicate dim * the 

 Roman catholicks reckon it as fifh, not meat, though the reft of 

 the creature is allowed to be flefh. 



On this creature is a bag, in which is the precious caftoreum, 

 or caftor of the fhops : with this, and with his fine dark brown 

 fkin, is carried on a considerable trade at Elverums fair. That 

 which I mall in this part of my work endeavour to explain moft 

 fully, is what belongs to living creatures, with refpecT: to their 

 drift, inftincl:, or inclinations, which they feverally have to cer- 

 tain things 5 concerning their confer vation, and wherein they feem 

 to acl: with a moft cautious reflection, or devife more than 

 one could think or expect. In no part of the treatife can I have 

 occafton to be more particular in this refpecl:, than in fpeaking 

 of the Beaver, efpecially on the fubje& of his preparing his habi- 

 tation : on account of his art in this, in the kingdom of beads, h& 

 deferves the title of mafter-builder. The manner is this : the- 

 , Beaver before-mentioned has a great tail, which weighs feveral, 

 pounds: this is of the fifh kind and quality, in that degree 

 that it cannot bear to be long together out of the water. It 

 has over the fkin a kind of fifh-fcales, and the hinder legs have 

 flat goofe-like feet, and are of the fame flefh y nature. For this 

 reafori the Beaver muft build in fuch manner, that he can always 

 have his hind part hanging in the water in fome place which is 

 kept open all Winter, that he may continually throw his tail 

 forwards and backwards in the free water. 



He cannot always be fure of this advantage, as the water 



lifes and falls. For this reafon, to preferve his health, and fuit 



his convenience, he builds always at the fide of a water a wooden 



houfe, three ftories high, and regularly raifed above one another, 



like a little tower ; where he and his mate have each their 



woeful feparate lodging and Bed. To fell the trees for building of thefe 



We.? ° f houfes, or to repair them when they happen to be deftroy'd by ac- 



dent, the great and, wife Creator has furnifhed this little animal 



with a tooth, which feems unproportionably large , it is of a 



finger's length, and feems as if ground fharp at the end, not 



unlike 



