RILEY — BEAVER CULTURE 
203 
crude way to do the work, and might result in considerable injury to 
the specimens taken. Fortunately this was not the case with the two 
trapped, and both of them were removed from the traps without 
suffering severe injury. 
An ordinary box was made 2x2 x 3, with sliding door, for trans- 
porting the animals. One quarter inch cracks were left between the 
boards to allow for air. It was lined with chicken wire to prevent the 
animals from gnawing, and both were placed in the same box. They 
made no attempt to gnaw out and caused very little disturbance while 
in the box, being comparatively docile after being once captured. One 
was inclined to fight while being removed from the trap, until released 
from it. The first one was placed in the box directly from the trap; 
the second one was carried to the box in an old gunny sack. It scratched 
around some, but did not attempt to gnaw its way out. The two cap- 
tured were two-year-olds. In trapping the pair an extra male was 
caught. It was transferred to Carnero Creek with the idea that we 
might later be able to get a mate for it, but we were unable to do so. 
The beavers were transported, by automobile from the place trapped 
on Cochetopa Creek to the upper Saguache Ranger Station, and thence 
by wagon about 10 miles to where they were released in Houselog 
Creek. The first beaver captured was in the box three days and two 
nights before being released. He apparently suffered no injury from 
the confinement or from the long period out of the water. Both were 
in good condition when released in Houselog Creek. 
The beavers were released just above the upper ranch on Houselog 
Creek. The sentiment of the local ranchers and homesteaders along 
the creek is favorable to the propagation of beaver, they feeling that 
if the stream becomes stocked, they will benefit through the holding 
back of the water, making more for irrigation in the late summer. 
It is, of course, too soon to predict the result of the work, but it is 
thought that it will be successful. There is an abundance of aspen 
along the stream for food. Two or three weeks following the release, 
little was seen of the beavers, but aspen cuttings were observed at 
different places along the creek. They apparently wandered around 
considerably before setthng down; but the last observations of Ranger 
Gallegos showed that they had established themselves just above the 
fence of the upper ranch on the creek, and had built a den in the bank. 
They have not built a dam, but it is doubtful if this is essential, since 
some of the beavers in this locality do not construct dams. 
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY, VOL. 2 , NO. 4 
