THE BEAVER. 



The Beaver feeds on the leaves and bark of fuch trees and fhrubs as have 

 not a refmous juice. Lawfon fays, they prefer the fafiafras, am, and fweet 

 gum ; but Captain Cartwright alferts their favourite food to be the afpen, 

 the birch, and the root of the water lily. When they eat, they hold the 

 food in their fore paws, and fit up like Squirrels. The Count de BurFon, 

 hurried on by the impetuolity of his lively imagination, has faid, that " a 

 Beaver has a fcaly tail, becaufe he eats fifh ;" on which palfage Mr. Cartwright 

 pleafantly obferves, " I wonder that M. BufFon has not one himfelf, for the 

 fame reafon, for I am fure he has eaten a great deal more filh than all the 

 Beavers in the world put together." The facT: is, Beavers will neither eat 

 filh, nor any other animal food whatever, but fubfilt wholly on vegetable 

 fubllances. They bring forth their young towards the end of June, and 

 generally have two at a time, which are for the molt part male and female ; 

 the firlt time of breeding, indeed, they often have but one, and fome of the 

 old ones have been known to produce three or four, and even more at a birth. 

 The firft year they are called Pappoofes ; the fecond, Small Medlers ; the 

 third, Large Medlers ; the fourth Beavers ; and, after that, Old or Great 

 Beavers. The young ones continue with their parents till they are full three 

 years old ; when they pair off, build a houfe for themfelves, and begin to 

 breed. Sometimes, if they are undifhirbed and have plenty of provilions, 

 they remain with the old ones, and the fociety is then called a double crew. 

 Sometimes a fingle Beaver lives by itfelf, and is then called a Hermit, or 

 a Terrier. Whatever may have been the caufe which has feparated thefe 

 individuals from fociety, it is certain that they always have a black mark on 

 the infide of the Ikin upon their backs, which is called a faddle, and 

 diftinguilhes them from the others. Cartwright fuppofes this feparation 

 from fociety may arife from their fidelity and conltancy to each other; and 

 that, having by fome accident loll their mate, they will not readily pair again. 

 He thinks likewife that the mark on the back may proceed from the want of 

 a companion to keep that part warm. They move but llowly on land, and 

 being cowardly, are eafily killed, notwithstanding they are pofleiled of the 

 means to make a flout reiiltance, as their teeth are long, fharp, and llrong, 



