The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-08-26
THE CANADA BEAVER.

FROM an interesting cpisdode in Thomas
T. Keepers Esq, recent lecture on The
Ottawa We extract the following sketch of
the habits and instincts of that remarkable
animal, the beaver:
One cannot fail to be struck with admira-
ton and as'o!shment on visiting the haunt>
81 the beaver, nor can he wonder that the red
man should place him al the head of animal
creation, or make Mantou Of him. when
Egypt the mother of the Arts, worshippct.
such stupid and disgusting leiticS. Whether
YOU call it instinct or whether it is to be call
ed reason, one thing is certain. that if half of
humanity were as Intclligcnt as proyident,a "a.
la5orlous and harmless as the beaver. ours
would be a very different world from what j,
is
The beaver is the original lumbernlan and
the first of hydraulic engineers. Simple and
unOstcntatiOus, his food is the bark of trees
and his dwelling. mud cabin. the door of
which is always open. but under water-con-
dltlOns which secure retirement and are ia
vorablc to cool contemplation. The single
object Of his existence being to secure bark
enough for himself and family, one would sup
pose there would not be much difficulty E
that: but as neither beaver nor any other
animal, except man. are addicted to works
OF supcro"a'lon, we Eav be sure that the
former. in all his laboriouS arrangements and
those. too. which alter the face Of nature TO
such an important degree. does no more than
Is absolutely necessary for him to do. Gas.
in an inho>pitablc climate, nearly the whole
OF his labor is for lawn" in his Winter sup
plies, and water is the only medium bv viii h
he can procure and preserve these. Too high
ly civilized for nomadic life, he builds per
mancnty, and does not quit his habita,ion un-
til driven from it, like other respectable emf
grants. by stern necessity
We cannot better illustrate the habits of
this interesting animal than by accompanying
a beaver family on some fine evening in Nav
in search Of a new home. The papa beaver,
with his sons, sons-inlaw, wife, daughters
and daushters-in-law, and, it may be, grand
children, salies forth prospecting" the coun
try for a good location-that is, stream of
easy navi cation, and having an abunlan;
supply Of their iavoritc food, the silver birch
and poplar, growing as near the river As pos
sblc. Having selected these "lmit>." the
next step is to place their dwelling so as to
command the greatest amount of food For
this purpose they 90 as far below the supplies
as the character Of the stream viii permit
y pond OF deep still water being an inli>pcn-
sable adjunc: to their dwelling, this is obtain
ed by the construction of a dam. and lew en-
gIncers could select site TO produce the re-
quircd result so efficiently and cconomically
The dam and dwelling are forthwith, com
mcnced, the material employed in both being
sticks, roots, mud and stones, the two former
being dragged by the teeth, and the latter
carried between the fore paws and the chin
Ii the dam is extensive. whole trees are ouaw-
ed down, the largest of which are ofthc diam
cter Of an ordinary >tovc-pipc, the stump be-
ing left standing about eighteen inches above
the ground, and pointed like crayon Those
trees which stand upon the bank Of the stream
4
crly as the most experienced woodman: those
which are most distant arc cut up bv them
into pieces which can he dragged to the wa
ter. These trees and branches are tloatel
down to the site of the dam, where thew are
dragged ashore and placed so that the tops
shall be borne down by the current, and thus
arrest the descending de'ritus and form a
strong and tight dam. Critical parts are
built up "bv hand" the sticks and mud when
placed receiving smart blow from the bca-
vcrS tail. Just as a Lticklaver settles his work
with the handle of his trowcl The habita-
ton or hut OF the beaver is almost bomhproot:
rising like dome from the ground on the
margin OF the pond, and sometimes six or
eight feet in thickness in the crown The on
y entrance is from level of three or four
feet under the water ofthe pond. These pre-
cautions are necessary. because, Ike all en-
animals, the beaver is not without
enemies.
The wolverine who is as fond of beaver
all as an old Nor'wcster, would walk into his
nut if he could only get thcrc,-but having
he same dlStaStc for water as the cat. he
must forego the luxury. 1t is not, however,
or safety that the beaver adopts the subma-
Inc communication with his dwelling, altho'
Is tor that he restricts himself to it, The !
anne necessity which compels him to build
'an' and thus create pond of water, oblices Z
lin to maintain communication with thar
'ond when the ice is three feet thick upon T
he surface. Living upon the bark of trees. II
e is obliged to provide comparatively 7
reat bulk for his Winters consumption and 7
c must secure it at the season when the new
ark is formed and before it commences to G.
ry he must also store it up where it will "
OF become frozen or dried up. lie could not G.
easonaby be expected to build a frost-proof II
ouse large enough to contain his family sup el
ly, but if he did, it would wither. and lose
nutrlment therefore he preserves it in 10