fome proper bait; which the animal endeavouring 
to feize, is held faft by the head or paw. Some- 
tinnes they place heavy logs of v/ood in Ibch fitua- 
tions as will make them fall with the flighted 
touchj ib as to crulli the Bear beneath tiieir weight. 
Another method is, to lay a board driven full of 
iron hooks in the Bear's track, near wliich they 
place fomething that eafily falls down; and this 
terrifying the Bear by it's fall, he runs on the board 
with great force, and finding one fore-paw wound- 
ed, and feized by the hooks, he endeavours to free 
himfelf by beating the board with the otiier : both 
being thus fixed, he rcfls on his hinder-legs, which 
occafion the board to rife before his eyes, and 
perplex him in ibch a manner, that he loon be- 
comes furious, and beats himfelf to death. The 
people about the Rivers Lena and lijme have a 
very odd method of catching them. Tliey place a 
noofe on the Bear's track or entrance to his der, 
faftened at tlie end to a large log of v/ood : whrn 
the Bear finds himfelf entangled, and feels that the 
log prevents his walking eafiiy, he takes it up, and 
carries it to fomx precipice, fi'om whence he throv/s 
it down with grei'-t force, and of courfe falling 
with it, is violently bruifed. However, he fails 
not to repeat this praftice, till in the end he kills 
himfelf. 
From the month of June to the end of harvefl:, 
thefe Bears are veiy fat ; but, in the fpring, they are 
lean and dry. In the ftomachs of thofe killed in 
the fpring, nothing is found but a frothy Oime. 
BEAVER. This animal is far lefs remarkable 
for the fingularity of it's conformation, than for 
the intelleflual powers it is oblerved to polTefs. 
It is the only quadruped which has a flat, broad 
tail, covered with fcaies, ferving as a rudder to di- 
redl it's m.otion in die water. It is the only qva- 
druped, alfo, v/hich is furnifhed with micmbranes 
between the toes of the hmd-feet folely, which llip- 
ply the place of hands, as in the fquirrel tribe. It 
is, fcill farther, the only animal that, in it's fore- 
parts, entirely rcfembles a quadruped; and, in it's 
hinder-parts, feems to approach to the nature of 
fifhes, by having a fcaly tail. In other refpefts, 
it's length, from the nofe to the tail, is about three 
feet ;- it's tail is eleven inches long, and three 
broad; and the animal is fomewhat like a rat. It 
has ftrong cutting teeth; fhort ears, almofc hid in 
the fur; and a blunt nofe. The hair is of a deep 
chefnut-brovvn., and com.pofed of two forts: the 
one long and coarfe^and the otlicr faort, foft, 
fine, and fdky. Like birds, it has but one vent 
for it's natural evacuations; a peculiarity in it's 
conformation of which we fhould be inclined to 
doubt, did not the moft celebrated naturalifts con- 
cur in it's fupport. 
The Beaver feem.s to be the only remaining mo- 
nument of brutal fociety. In ail countries where 
man is civilized, the lower ranks of animals, as 
Buffon judicioufly rem.arks, are reprefTed and de- 
graded. Either reduced to fervitude, or treated 
as rebels, all their Ibcieties are dilToived, and all 
their united talents rendered ineffeftual ; their fee- 
ble arts have quickly difappeared ; and nothing 
but their folitary inftinfts, or thofe foreign habits 
which they have received from human education, 
can now be traced. 
The Beaver, from the effefts of it's labours, 
which are ftill to be feen in the remote parts of 
America, may teach us how far inftinft may be 
aided by imitation. From thence we may alfo 
perceive to what a degree animals unaffifred either 
by language or reafon, are capable of concurring 
for their mutual benefit; and of attaining, by dint 
of numbers, thofe advantages which eacli, in a 
ftate-of folitude, feems unfitted to poffefs. View- 
ing tire Beaver only in the light of an individual, 
and unconnefted with others of it's kind, we fhall 
find that many other quadrupeds excel it in cun- 
ning, and almoft all in the pov/ers of annoyance 
and defence. The Beaver, v/iien kept in a ftate 
of folitude or domeftic tamenefs, appears to be a 
mild, gentle creature ; familiar, but dull even to. 
melancholy; v/ithout any violent paffions or ap- 
petites; moving but feldom; making very few ef- 
forts to regain it's freedom; calm, and indifferent 
to all about it ; without attachments or antipathies; 
and never feeking to conciliate the favour of man, 
nor aiming at offending him. In thofe qualities 
which render animals ferviceable to man, tiie Bea- 
ver appears inferior to the dog: it feemis neither 
formxd to command nor to ferve; and is only 
adapted to live among it's own kind. Thus liie 
talents of this creature are entirely reprefled in foli- 
tude, and are only brought to light by it's being 
placed in fociety. When accidentally detached 
from it's companions, it neither exhibits induflry 
nor cunning, and appears incapable 'of guarding 
itfelf from the n:ioft obvious and inartificial fnares 
of the hunters. Far from attacking any other ani- 
mal, it fcarcely pofTefTes the arts of defence; and, 
preferring flight to cunning, like all other wild 
animials, it only refills when driven to extremity, 
and v/hen it's ipeed can no longer avail. 
About the months of June and July, the Beavers 
begin to alTemble in great numbers, and to form a 
fociety, generally confiRing of more than tv/o hun-r 
dred, which continues during the greatefc part of 
the year. The place of their rendezvous, which is 
aKvays near the margin of fome lake or river, is 
commonly msAe the fcene of their future adtion. 
If the waters are always on a level, they difpenfe 
v^'ith building a dam; but if they are fubjeft to 
floods and falls, they then fet about erefting a pier 
over the river or lake, fo as to form a kind of dead 
water in thofe parts v/hich lie above and beloW it. 
This clam, or pier, is often fourfcore or a hundred 
feet long, and ten or tv/elve feet thick at the bafe. 
If we cornoare tlie .q-reatnefs of the work with the 
pov/crs of the architefts, it will appear enormous. 
But the ibliuity with v/hich it is built is ftill more 
afbonifliing than it's extent : it is ufually fonried in 
the moft ihallov/ part of the river, and where fom.e 
great tree overliangs the ftream, which they pitch 
upon as the principal ftay to their fabric; and, 
though it is often thicker than a man's body, they 
inftantly fet about hewing it down v/ith their teeth; 
and foon level it on the very fide on which they wifh 
it to fall, which is always acrofs the ftream. They 
then proceed to cut off the top branches, in order 
that the tree may lie clofe and even, and ferve as 
•the principal beam of the building. The dyke, or 
pier, dtfcends v/ith a flope on that fide next the wa- 
ter; which gravitates on the work in proportion to 
it's height, prefTing it with a prodigious force to- 
wards the earth. The oppoftte fide is ereded per- 
pendicularly ; and that declivity, which at the bafe 
is about twelve feet broad, dimiinift.es till it ter- 
minates in a breadth of only two feet. 
Vv''ood and clay are the materials of v/hich tJiis 
mole confifts. The Beavers cut, with furprizing ex- 
pedition, pieces of wood, nearly as thick as a man's 
arm, and five or fix feet long, according as the flope 
afcends; and thefe they drive into the ground at a 
fmall 
