travels in î<torth America. 39 



or Beavers of Europe are like the Land Caftors, the Dif« 

 ïerence of which from the others I Hiall prefently make yon 

 underftand. 



However that mav be, Madam, the Beaver of Canada is an 

 , ^ amphibious Quadrupède, v/hich cannot how« 



U/ the tur of ^^^^ remain a iong Time in the V\^ater, and 

 the Bearer. do without being in it, provided it has the 



Opportunity of walhing itfelf fometimes : The îargeil Beavers 

 are fomething under four Feet long, about fifteen Inches from 

 one Hip to the other, and weigh about fixty^ Pounds. The 

 Colour of this Animal is different, according to the dif- 

 ferent Climates where it is found. In the moil diflant Parts 

 of the North they are generally quite black, though fome« 

 times they are found there white. In the more temperate 

 Countries they are brown, and by Degrees, as they ad- 

 vance towards the South, their Colour grows more and mort, 

 light. Amongfl the Ilinois^ they are almoil of a fallow Colour, 

 and fome have been found of a ilraw Colour. It it further ob- 

 ferved, that the lefs black they are, the lefs they are furniflied with 

 Fur, and of Confequence their Skins are lefs valuable. This is 

 an Effeél of Providence, which defends them from the Cold, as 

 they are the more expofed to it. Their Far is of two Sorts all 

 over the Body, except the Feet, where there is but one Sort very, 

 fliort. The longeil Sort is about eight or ten Lines, or Parts of 

 an Inch long, fuppofe an Inch to be divided into twelve Parts, 

 It is even two Inches long on the Back, but diminifhes by 

 Degrees towards the Head and Tail. This Fur is itifr and 

 glofiy, and is what gives the Colour to the Creature. Upon view- 

 ing it with a Microfcope, the middle Part of it is found to be 

 the cleareft, which proves that it is hollov/; this Fur is of no Ufe, 

 The other Fur is a very fine Down, very thick, and at moll not 

 above an Inch long, and this is what is made Ufe of. It was 

 formerly called in Europe, Mu/co^jy Wool. This is properly the 

 Cioathing of the Beaver^ the firfl ferves him only for Ornament, 

 and perhaps helps him in fwimming. 



They fay that the Beaver lives from fifteen to twenty Years; 



. ^ . . 7 that the Female g-oes four Months with Younp^î 



An Anatomical it i /• r ^ 



r r .1 ' and has commonly four Younp- ones; feme 



De crittion of this n i .i, >t i ^ • i 



Anmal raveiiers miake the in um.oer amount to eigh t, 



but I believe this feidom happens : She has 



four Dugs, two on the great Peâ:oral Mufcle, between the 



fécond and third Ribs, and two about four Inches higher. Thé 



Mufcles of this Animal are very ilrong, and bigger than feems 



necefTary to its Size. Its Inteilines on the contrary are very 



tender ; its Bones are very hard, its two Jaws, which are almoft 



even, have a very great Strength; ea::h Jaw is furnifhed with ten 



Teeth, tv/o cutting ones and eight Gnnâcrcr The upper cut- 



