HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 



38S 



are faid to be fondeft of the fafiafras, afti, and fweet 

 gum. During fummer, they feed on leaves, fruits, and 

 fometimes crabs or cray-fifh ; but fifh is not their favour- 

 ite food. Their time of building is early in the fummer. 

 In winter, they never go farther than to their provifion 

 ftores, and, during that feafon, are very fat. 



They breed once a year, and bring forth two or three 

 at a birth. 



Beavers are found chiefly in the northern parts of Eu- 

 rope, Afia, and America; particularly the latter, from 

 whence many thoufands of their fkins are annually 

 brought into Europe. In 1763, the Hudfon's Bay com- 

 pany fold 54,670 Beaver fkins at one fale, — They vary in 

 colour. The mo ft valuable are black ; but the general 

 colour is a chefnut-brown, more or lefs dark. Some 

 have been found entirely white, others fpotted *, but both 

 thefe kinds are very rare. 



The Beaver is remarkable for the fize and ftrength of 

 its cutting-teeth, which enable it to gnaw down trees of 

 great magnitude with eafe. Its ears are fhort, and almoft 

 hid in the fur ; its nofe blunt ; tail broad and flat, nearly 

 of an oval form, and covered with fcales — it ferves not 

 only as a rudder to direct its motions in the water, but 

 as a moft ufeful inftrument for laying on the clay, pref- 

 fing it into the crevices, and fmoothing the outward co- 

 vering ; its fore feet are fmall, and not unlike thofe of a 

 Rat ; the hind feet are large and ftrong, with membranes 

 between each toe ; its length, from nofe to tail, is about 

 three feet; the tail is eleven inches long, and three 

 broad. 



The caftor produced from thefe animals is found in 

 a liquid Hate, in bags near the anus, about the lize of an 



B b 



