New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-10

line and was nearly five feet in hight, and he thus
describes its interior or chamber
1.-THE chamber-there was but one-was very low,
scarcely two feet in hight though about nine feet IN
diameter. 1t had gentle slope upward from the
water the margin of which could be just at the
edge There were two levels inside, one, which we
will term the hall, soping mud-ba on which the
animal approaches from the subaqueous tunnel and
shakes himself and the other, elevated bed OF
boughs ranged round to the back of the chamber,
and much in the style of a guard-bed, 1. e., the
slopin0 wooden trestle usually found in military
| ouard- room. The couch was comfortably covered
with lengths of dried grass and rasped hbers Oh WOOL
similar TO the shavngs of tOy-broom. The ends Oh
the timbers and brushwOOd, which projected IN
| ward. were smoothly gnawed of all round. There
| were two entranees-the one led into the water at
the edge of the chamber and let IN the llght inc
other went down at deeper angle into black water
The former was evidently the Summer entrance, the
latter being used in Winter to avoid the ice Inc IN
terror was perfectly clean. barked sticks tine re-
fuse of the food being left about. These were all
distributed on the exterior fact which accounts tor
| the bleached appearance Of many houses we nave
| SEEN"
AS both the houses Of the beavers and their dams
are often injured during their excursions tor loou'
they have to be often repaired and TINS is inVa-
| rlably done at nlgnJ, inc HlauneI VI iOP"h'"o o
being substantially the same as of building them
| and the materials, of course, the same. The WOOD
gathered-and the process of cutting trees OF twelve
inches in diameter is rapid one SO powerful are the
incisors of the animal-it plunges into the water
and brings up the mud or small stones at the bottom
! TO mix with its carpentry, carrying them closely
under its chin in its forepaws. 1t was the common
opinion once-even naturalists shared lt-that the
| broad tail Of the beaver was used to plaster down
the mud in its work but the opinion was erroneous
the real use Of the tail in the operation, as capt.
Hardy observes, being to counterpoise by an action
against the water in an upward direction, the ten
| dencv. which the animal would otherwise have, to
| sink head foremost when propelling itself through
the water with its strong webbed hind feet, ana
supporting at the same time the load oil mud OF
gravel in its forepaws under the chin The OLD story
of the trowel being, therefore, myth, we must
henceforth regard the beaver as a carpenter and
| not mason.
OF other of the lake-dwelleTs of Acadie, as the
musk-rat the otter, the fisher, and the mink, We
have not left ourselves space to speak; nor OF Its
cayedwellers as the pOrcupine, and the black bear
concerning which last Capt Hardy writes at con-
siderable length, and apparently from MS owl
knowledge. What he has to tell us OF Acadlar
Fish and Fishing is but little, nor is that little new
II is evident we think, that he is more OF hunter
than fisher and more of naturalist than either
and accordingly it is in his double character OF
naturalist and hunter that he is most interesting az
we have endeavored to convey to our readers anc
largely in his own language.
wAYsIpE THOUGHTS By sAsuEL H. LLoIe Auho, q Glimpse
Of the Spin, Land &c limo pp g. w Middleton
The author, justifying himself by the sole
itaton Of friends" modestly offers this dainty htu
volume TO the public. IL prepared he informs us
amid the distractions OF business and thereby Furnishes
nj the start this positive lesson IL Is an unconscou
protest against the utter absorption OF tme thought
energy and all the graces Of life by the unreentn
claims OF business habit which gradually threaten
20 make wealth synonymous with the lack OF all hHhe
and nober culture in this country. IL an educated Dus
ness man can find time to read, and reflect ana grace
fully record the intellectual result Of Iris scany leisure
An ignorant business man may surelytake time enough
10 educate himself 70 extent, and hide the vacancy
which wealth only makes more conspicuous Mr.Lloyd'
example is both and honorable. His Thoughts
reveal TO us pure refined harmonious, catholic nature
II some OF them might more apty be styled Memories
seeing that they echoes Of ether minds they are nom
the less valuable his taste marked his appreciation
OF moral intellectual truth ready that he repeat
only thoughts which viii bear repetition. Narou
authors for instance, have already said this; "Withou
activity there De life. The sea would grow stag
nant were not for the agitation OF the waves" We ar
reminded Of TonnysOn:
"The little ptted speck In garnered trnit,
That, rotung inward, slowly moulders AM
when we read this from Mr. Lloyd:
AS decay In n fruit talnts the whole. so a ser
Gus defect In our characters taRts and deforms all tn
faculties"
Here is something original. clear and good
cit is not so much by aud startling truths tina
the mind Of man progresses and develops itself b.
the constant and cognizance Of those
the most common"
The following misconception obscurely expressed
Aspiration the artistic grouping OF all our faculties
In heavenly oontempatons and desires. upon whIcl
the sunlight OF heaven continually rests giving color
reality 10 this divine statuary OF the soul"
The pervading spirit OF the book OF faith Joy
order, patience, and peace Such spirit, coming from
the business streets Of this city Is almost marveou
Irnnr I,o r,nrll1 -rilnna