The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1880-10-08
BEAVERS PARTIALLY DoMEsr1cArEp


introduced into the Isle of Butte, by the
Marquis Of that Isle, in 1874, and seem
to have done very well. The succeed
ing remarks are taken from the Journal
of Forestry, and are from tho pen of
Joseph Stuart Black, keeper on the
Butte estate: ,5, t .t
Their food in winter consists wholly
of the barks of trees had they choice
l have no hesitation in saying they
would prefer the willow and poplar.
These not growing in the enclosure
they had just to adapt themselves to
circumstances, and take share of
what trees they could get, consisting
of oak, plane tree, elm, thorn, hazel,
Scotch fir and larch. OF the hard wood,
they seemed to prefer elm to plane
tree, then oak, of which they cat SPAR
ingly. OF tho first, the Scotch has the
preference as for the farch, they did
not touch it till early in 1873, since
which time they have taken to it very
we'll. AS for the alder and spruce fir,
they cat almost nothing of them. Along
with all these we have always given
them supply of willow. In summer
they eat freely Of the common brachcn,
likewise grass, and young shoots of
every description growing in tho place.
In autumn they grub up and feed upon
roots, chief among which is tho Tor
mentil (I'OteatiItt tO,mae,,tiiIn), known
to Scotch people as "tormentil root"
and tho young tender shoots of the
common spurts before thoy appear
above ground, at the same time cutting
down Il tree now and again and feeding
on tho bark.
AS to the tree telling, 1t is all done
at night; the number which they have
cut down amount now to 1877 trees from
| five feet in circumference downward.
| These arc all forest trees, besides many
smaller bushes. Before cutting down
tree they mark it all round at the
height they wish to cut it. They be-
gin to cut at the opposite side to which
they intend the tree should fall, inva-
riably making it fall with the top to
! the water. Where they grow near
enough, they make them fall across
the stream or dam, causing many to
suppose that they arc so placed to form
II bridge, whereby they may cross from
one side of tho water to another. They
do not require Il bridge, they can swim,
and rather than cross over II prostrate
tree they dive under, il. My impress
sion is, they are 50 placed TO break the
current of the water when the stream
is flooded; also if convenient they take
advantage of building u dam where
some of the trees lie across the water.
Those lying across in their principal
dam are utilized in storing up their
winter food, these stores being built on
the upper side of the trees, so that they
cannot be swept away by the winter
floods. ..s...
When cutting the trees they use their
teeth, on the same principle that for
ester does an axe, always keeping
plenty of open space, so that they can
cut past the centre Of the tree on one
side before beginning on the other. 1t
is in the latter end Of autumn they
commence to cut down trees for winter
food. Having cut them down, they
speedily strip Off the branches, cutting
them into lengths to suit their strength
for dragging them away to the dam,
where they store thcrn in different
places near their house, 50 that they
may have sufficient food although the
dam may be frozen over, or the ground
covered with snow. What is left of
the trunks of the trees that they can
not drag away, they feed on at leisure,
eating the bark,
Besides the work above ground,
which / tried to describe, they have
done great amount Of underground
work. such as cutting channels in their
dams, and making burrows. These
burrows they make by cutting "A road
from the middle of the dam for several
yards into the dry ground, where they
scoop out dome shaped burrow from
| eight to ten inches above the level OF
the road, then cut Il hole through the
surface and cover it over with sticks
and grass 80 rs to act us Il vcntilator.
Here they live and feed In security
and cOntentmcnt. Some of the roads
to these burrows are from fifteen to
twenty yards long, and so level that
the water follows them in tho whole
length.
AS to the time they bring forth their
young, from my own kno"fdSe J
cannot say. ! have seen it stated to be
4 January, also the beginning of May.
can say nothing against that, iudg-
ing from the size Of the young when !
first saw them in the second week OF
June, the oldest litter being about the
size Of u full-grown rabbit, and the
youngest not half that size.
From carerul observation l have