BEAVER. 
I wonder much, that Monsieur Buffon had 
not one himself for the same reason, for I am 
sure that he has eaten a great deal more fish 
than all the Beavers in the world put together:'* 
whereas, in truth, BufFon's history of the 
Beaver contains nothing at all like any swell 
ridiculous assertion. But, though our critical 
traveller has, in this instance, committed an 
egregious blunder, he certainly gives us much 
of the best information which we possess on 
the subject. 
" Beavers," says he, " will neither eat 
fish, nor any other animal food : but live on 
the leaves and bark of such trees and shrubs 
as have not a resinous juice, and the root of the 
W ater-Lily. I have known them eat Black 
Spruce: and they will sometimes cut down 
Silver Fir; but, I believe, that is only to build 
with, when other trees are scarce. When they 
eat, they hold their food in their fore-paws, and 
sit up, like Monkeys. In the summer-time, 
they ramble about very much, paying little re- 
gard to their houses; and will make a bed of 
sticks shred fine, under a bush near the water- 
side, and there sleep. The first bed of this 
kind which I found, I took to be the nest of a 
. Goosey 
