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manufacture of beaver- hats ; now the beaver of 

 America and Europe are abfolutely the fame animal; 

 but whether it is, that the European beavers are be 

 come extremely rare ; or that their fur is not equally 

 good in quality with that of the beavers of Ame- 

 rica, there is no longer mention made of any, be- 

 fides this latter, except it is with refpecl to the Caf- 

 toreum, of which I fhall fay a word or two in the 

 end of this letter. I do not even know that any 

 author has mentioned this animal, as an object of 

 curiofity, perhaps, for want of having obferved it 

 clofely enough \ perhaps too, becaufe the Euro- 

 pean beavers are of the nature of land beavers, 

 the difference of which from the others I fhall pre- 

 fently ihew you. 



However this be, the beaver of Canada is an 

 amphibious quadruped, which cannot live for any 

 long time in the water, and which is able to live 

 entirely without it, provided it have the conveniency 

 of bathing itfelf fometimes. 1 he largeft beavers 

 are fomewhat lefs than four feet in length and fifteen 

 inches in breadth over the haunches, weighing about 

 fixty pounds. Its colour is different according to 

 the different climates, in which it is found. In the 

 mod diflant northern parts they are generally quite 

 black, though there are fometimes found beavers 

 entirely white. In the moft temperate countries they 

 are brown, their colour becoming lighter and lighter 

 in proportion as they approach toward the fouth. 

 In the country of the Illinois, they are almoft yel- 

 low, and fome are even feen of a ftraw-colour. It 

 has alfo been obferved, that in proportion as their 

 colour is lighter they yield a lefs quantity of fur, 

 and confequently are lefs valuable. This is plainly 

 the work of Providence, which fecures them from 

 the cold in proportion as they are expofed to it f 



The 



