ANIMALS* 



331 



The beaver is a native of most of the northern parts 

 of Europe and Asia, but is most plentiful in North 

 America. 



The general length of the beaver is about three 

 feet. The tail is oval, nearly a foot long, compressed 

 horizontally, but rising into a convexity on its upper 

 surface. It is perfectly destitute of hair, except at 

 the base, and marked out into scaly divisions, like 

 the skin of a fish. The hair is very fine, smooth, 

 glossy, and of a chesnut colour, varying sometimes 

 to black ; and instances have occurred, in which it 

 has been found, white, cream-coloured, or spotted. 

 The ears are short, and almost hidden in the fur. 



No other quadrupeds seem to possess so great a 

 degree of natural sagacity as the beavers, yet when 

 we consider that their history, as hitherto given to 

 mankind, has been principally taken from the reports 

 of the beaver-hunters, whose object is, not to study 

 the nature or manners of the animals, but merely to 

 seize them as articles of commerce, and whose ac- 

 counts are often perfectly contradictory, it is neces- 

 sary that we should not give implicit faith to every 

 thing that has been written even by the most re- 

 spectable authors concerning them, who have not 

 tliemselves witnessed their operations. 



Captain George Cartwright, who resided above 

 fourteen years on the coast of Labrador, in order to 

 collect the different furs of that dreary climate, saw 

 more of the manners of the beaver, than nearly all 

 the other writers put together. To his volumes, 

 therefore, we have principally had recourse, in our 

 endeavours to give the reader as faithful an account 

 as possible of this wonderful animal. 



