AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
33 
AUTHENTIC HISTORY. — Continued. 
season, disease, or accident, has at times led individuals to 
state the existence of several species of Beaver in this 
country. No other species, however, has yet been disco- 
vered, but that whose habits we have been describing. 
Beavers are occasionally found nearly of a pure white, 
which is owing to the same cause that produces albino va- 
rieties of various animals. 
“ The Beaver is about two feet in length, having a thick 
and heavy body, especially at its hinder part. The head 
is compressed and somewhat arched at the front, the up- 
per part being rather narrow, and the snout at the extre- 
mity, quite so; the neck is very short and thick. The eyes 
are situated rather high up on the head, and have rounded 
pupils; the ears are short, elliptical, and almost entirely 
concealed by the fur. The whole skin is covered by two 
sorts of hair; one which is long, rather stiff, elastic, and of 
a gray colour for two-thirds of its length next the base, and 
terminated by shining, reddish, brown points, giving the 
general colour to the pelage; the other is short, very fine, 
thick, tufted and soft, being of different shades of silver 
gray or light lead colour. On the head and feet the hair 
is shorter than elsewhere. The tail, which is ten or 
eleven inches long, is covered with hair similar to that of 
the back, for about one-third of its length nearest the base, 
the rest of it is covered by hexagonal scales, which are not 
imbricated.” — Godman. 
The Beaver appears to inhabit, at present, the northern 
and western regions of America, although there are evi- 
dent traces that they were once dispersed over all the parts 
which now constitute the United States; nearly every 
state has its traditionary remains of the Beaver in certain 
locations, as Beaver dams, Beaver falls, Beaver creeks, 
Beaver rivers, Beaver lakes, &c. But now, the encroach- 
ment of the human species has driven them to more remote 
places, where they are still pursued by the persecuting 
hand of avarice and rapacity, until the complete extermina- 
tion of this valuable creature may be expected with cer- 
tainty. 
The parts in which these animals may be said more to 
abound, are, the country about Hudson’s Bay, extending 
from the coast of Labrador, through the interior, to the 
Pacific Ocean; and on all of the streams tributary to the 
Upper Missouri and Mississippi rivers, the north fork 
of the river Platte particularly, and the standing waters 
throughout that section of country. These are the 
I 
great fields for trapping and hunting, and are resorted to 
by those tribes of Indians residing east of the Rocky 
Mountains. Immense numbers are taken and disposed of 
by them to the different trading establishments in various 
parts of the north and west. Some idea may be formed 
of the quantity taken, by the fact, that from the years 
1793, to 1802, one million four hundred and fifty-one 
thousand nine hundred and eighty-four Beaver skins 
were shipped from the port of Quebec alone;* and in 1820 
sixty thousand skins were sold by the Hudson’s Bay 
Company. Now, if we were to add to these the number 
taken by those tribes of Indians extending through that 
vast expanse of country lying between Lake Michigan, and 
the Rocky Mountains, and from the 38th to the 52d paral- 
lel, embracing an extent of continent, eight hundred by 
twelve hundred miles, we must suppose that in less than 
a century, scarcely a representative of that interesting 
race of animals will be left. Although the Beaver is a 
very prolific animal, yet the manner of destroying them 
evidently tends to their final extermination. No regard 
is paid by some reckless hunters to the situation of the 
old female Beavers, which are often killed within a few 
days of their littering season, whereby not only the indi- 
vidual, but her whole progeny are destroyed. Multitudes 
of young are also killed, before they attain an age to make 
them of any value. How then can a race of beings exist, 
through any extent of time, when such an annihilating 
war is constantly waged against them ? 
Thus it will be seen, even when divested of intellec- 
tual properties, the Beaver is an exceedingly interesting 
animal, whether we view it during its life, or in its death. 
The short period of its existence, which, at most, seldom 
exceeds fifteen years, is a scene of industry, providence, 
and perseverance. Its habits as regards their own com- 
munities, is social and peaceful; it never destroys life or 
commits violence for its own sustenance; nor does it ag- 
gress the rights of a neighbouring animal. Its death is 
sought by the hunter for the value of its skin, which be- 
comes subject to many changes and a succession of owners. 
In the first place the skins of the Beaver form a basis for 
the hunter’slivelihood; then passing to the traders, become 
a source of profit which causes them to forego civilization 
and its attending benefits; from these in numbers they find 
their way to the cities of America and Europe, and form 
an article of merchandise so vast in amount as to engage 
the attention of large capitalists; and then again, passing 
Jerming’s Cyclopadia. 
