NATURAL HISTORY. 
77 
alfo as a cart to carry materials for its build- 
ing on land. The hind feet are webbed, 
bOt the fore, feet are not, from the necelTity 
of ufing them as hands. The fore-part, in 
genei-al, refembles a quadruped, and the 
hind part a fdh. The teeth are formed like 
a favv, with which they cut the wood they 
ufe in building their huts, and damming the 
water out of them. The fur, which is of 
a. deep chefnut brown, is the moft valuable 
material ufed in the hat manufaftory. Its 
length, from nofe to tail, is about three feet ; 
the tail is eleven inches long, and three 
broad. 
In June and July they form their focieties, 
of two and three hunchx’d, which they con- 
tinue all the red: of the year. Wherever 
they meet, they fix their abode, which is al- 
ways by the fide of a lake or river. The 
lagacity of this animal is truly worthy the 
cpnfideratiDn of the naturalill. and philofor 
pher, which it is impolTiblc to confider, with- 
cut the greatefi: humiliation to human pride. 
When W.G fee a beaver, with only its feet, 
j£eth,'aayj tail, capable of building a hut, 
•as. cominpdioqs^. for itfelf and young, as a 
cottage .fjih be rendered' to a pcafant, even 
.with the, ai(.| of rcafon and. piechanical tools, 
vriiat is the/boafted fuperiority of man ? 
1:' they fix their ftation by a river fub- 
Jeft to iioqds, they build a darn or pier., 
which crolTcs the llream, fo as to form a 
piece of water; but if they fettle near a 
G 2 lak'*, 
