eS 



NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



Beaver, 



Wonderful 

 building of 

 -feoufes. 



SECT. XV. 



Bxver, 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 ihort legs, a fhort and flat head, fmall round 

 ears and eyes, a large, thick, and fmooth tail, confiding 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 flefli. 



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 

 ikin, is carried on a confiderable trade at Elverums fair. That 

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

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

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

 tain things ; concerning their confervation, and wherein they feem 

 to zdi with a moft cautious refle&ion, or devife more than 

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

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

 of the Beaver, efpecially on the fubjeflt of his preparing his habi- 

 tation : on account of his art in this, in the kingdom of beafts 5 he 

 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 fifti kind and quality, in that degree 

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

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

 flat goofe-1 ike feet, and are of the fame flefhy nature. For this 

 reafon 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 

 rifes and falls. For this reafon, to prefer ve 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 

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

 houles, 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 



