The Beaver. 89 
Beavers in each house is from two to four old ones, 
and about twice as many young. When Beavers form a 
new settlement, they build their houses in the summer ; 
and then lay in their winter provisions, which consist 
principally of bark and the tender branches of trees, cut 
into certain lengths, and piled in heaps on the outside 
of their habitation, and always under the water ; though 
sometimes the heap is so large as to rise above the 
surface. One of these heaps will occasionally contain 
more than a cart-load of bark, young wood, and the 
roots of the water-lily. 
Beavers are hunted for the sake of their skins, which 
are covered with long hairs, and a short thick fur be- 
neath, which is used in making hats, after the long hairs 
have been destroyed. 
A great many stories have long been believed respect- 
ing the Beaver, on the authority of a French gentleman 
who had resided a long time in North America; but 
it is now ascertained that the greater part of them are 
false. The house of the Beaver is not divided into 
rooms, but consists of only one apartment; and the 
animals do not use their tails either as a trowel or a 
sledge, but only as an assistance in swimming. Some 
years ago a Beaver was brought to this country from 
America, that had been quite tamed by the sailors, and 
was called Bunney. When he arrived in England, he 
was made quite a pet of, and used to lie on the hearth- 
rug in his master's library. One day he found out the 
housemaid's closet, and his building propensities began 
immediately to display themselves. He seized a large 
sweeping brush, and dragged it along with his teeth to 
a room where he found the door open : he afterwards 
laid hold of a warming-pan in the same manner ; and 
having laid the handles across, he filled up the walls of 
the angle made by tho brushes with the wall, with 
hand-brushes, baskets, boots, books, towels, and any- 
thing he could lay hold of. As his walls grew high, he 
would often sit propped up by his ta ; l (with which 
he supported himself admirably), to lojk at what he 
had done ; and if the disposition of any of his building 
materials did not satisfy him, he would pull part of his 
