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Forest and Stream Letters 
Beavers and Beaver Construction 
DEAR FOREST AND STREAM: 
EAVERS are not as numerous as 
they used to be, but still they can 
be found in some places in small num- 
bers. I had seen several fresh cuttings 
at different times, and a great amount 
of old work, but never as much as I did 
in the middle of November. There is 
a slough not far from where I live, 
which is called Buttermilk Pond. This 
slough seems to be fed only by springs, 
except that some irrigation water runs 
into it; it has a final outlet to the 
Weiser River. It was near this outlet 
that I saw the most beaver work that I 
ever had the privilege of examining. It 
was at the home of a friend that I sug- 
gested we go down on the river, he be- 
ing well acquainted with all the things 
of interest along it. 
While walking along Beaver Creek, 
which empties into the river, our talk 
drifted to the topic of beavers. My 
friend volunteered to show me a beaver 
lodge, to which I readily assented. We 
kept talking and tramping among the 
willows and other trees which border 
the slough. He was leading and I did not 
notice when he climbed to the top of the 
lodge, thinking he would tell me when 
we reached it. He gave me a funny look 
and as I did not yet understand, he told 
me what it was. It was built between 
two clumps of willows on the edge of 
the slough, and was about fifteen feet 
wide by five feet high. My friend in- 
formed me that he had seen beavers 
there in the summer, and on one wil- 
low, a few feet away, was some work 
which was not very old; I do not think 
however that they lived there at the 
time I saw the lodge, they probably 
only used it for their summer home. 
After examining this lodge for a 
while we went on and came to a place 
where a small dam had once Ween, but 
which was now torn out and water was 
running through, we did not stay here 
long, but went on and soon came to a 
place where much work had been going 
on for some time. There was a sort of 
pond here and at one end was the river, 
connected to it by a tiny stream. Across 
this end of the pond a dam was being 
constructed, and was already about one- 
Page 603 
third of the way across. By the side 
of the pond a number of willows had 
been cut down, but some which were 
cut were still standing, being held up 
by surrounding trees. My friend sug- 
gested that we get these down, so we 
pulled out several and he climbed up 
into one, riding it down. At this place 
the willows, which were felled, were be- 
ing cut up into pieces about two feet 
long. For some reason one piece had 
been eaten in about an inch and started 
ee 

like, I will say that they are only a 
large cousin of the muskrat, being 
about the size of a medium-sized dog. 
Their tail resembles that of a muskrat 
but is more rounded at the tip. The 
beaver is very interesting, and one of 
the most intelligent and industrious of 
animals—one who believes in play and 
rest, but, when necessary, works hard 
to get food and material for his lodge 
and dam. 
LILBURN HALLBERG. 
Beavers make interesting pets 
again about two inches to one side, this 
cut being finished; perhaps the beaver 
made it a rule to get ail of his pieces 
- exactly the same length. 
A trail led from the pond to the place 
just mentioned, past this and under a 
fence, and on to a small grove of balm 
trees. Here a tree, about twenty inches 
in diameter, had been felled, and an- 
other tree, a short distance from this 
one, which was about thirty inches in 
diameter, was eaten about a third of 
the way through. Of these trees I do 
not think they would use anything but 
the limbs, for they could not get the 
larger portions of the trees to the pond, 
and besides they do not have as good 
bark as the limbs. 
For the benefit of those who may not 
have a clear idea of what a beaver looks 
New Brunswick Hunting Oppor- 
tunity 
DEAR FOREST AND STREAM: 
Might I ask advice from you as to the 
most likely way to find a sport or sports 
to fill an engagement of mine for a 
hunting trip into the Province of New 
Brunswick, Canada, for two weeks from 
October 15th? 
The country is known as the Cains 
River Country and the camp is reached 
in one day from Fredericton or two 
nights and two days from New York 
City—one night on the train, one night 
at Fredericton. 
In the past several years I have made 
two trips to this country and been ac- 
companied by my wife, and on these 
two trips we have taken out 3 bul] 
