The National tribune., 1890-05-08

the story perfect; and likewise the detailed
and mathematical exactness attributed to their
constructions, are but the imaginations Of men
insufliciently trained to discriminate between
inference and observation. The old fabulists
in this department of zoology-Oaus Magnus,
Jean Marius, RZacZynsky, Leems, etc.-incOr-
porated the myths and folk lore of northern
Europe into their accounts, and when Charlie
vOix, Theodat, Ellis, Cartwright, HeriOt and
even so recent a writer as Col. Butler, saw the
American beaver, it was through their eyes
they beheld the animal through a medium of
precOnception and fancy that distorted it out
of all semblance to reality, and made accurate
observation impossible.
Beavers constantly flap their tails from habit,
and never apparently with design. When they
strike upon the surface of their dams il is with
out an intention to produce any mechanical re-
suit, and when upon the surface of water, with
no design of signaling the presence Of danger.
In preparing the materials for both dams and
houses, the timber of which these are COM
posed is not felled so that it will fall into the
current and float down to the spot where it is
to be used; it falls into the water because trees
fringiug streams very commonly lean toward
them, and when this is not the case, or when
they grow away from the bank, the saplings
fall in all directions. Along the Missouri"
says DIR. COues, Il noticed trees in process Of
being felled which could not have fallen in any
available position" As long ago as Hearne's
famous journey" it was shown that their
ASSOCIATIVE INSTINCT"
was no more than the gregarOus habit ex-
hibted by many animals, and that anything
like a systematic division Of labor" among
beavers was myth. So also the observations
Of Hearne, Goldman, Audubon and Bachman
have brought to naught the fables connected
with their buildings, which are neither raised
according to principles of orientatiOn, put
together with a regard for symmetry, ar
ranged with any higher idea Of comfort than
having dry place TO lie upon, nor constructed
upon any plan beyond leaving an open space
in the middle. This industrious, and in some
respects very capable, little animal with a large
head. blunt. nose, ungraceful body charging
from the forehand backwards with small eyes
and ears, short stout limbs, massive claYicles,
and a comparatively weak jaw, has been made
ridiculous by unmerited praise
Beavers possess a certain jargon," observes
the sagacious George Heriot, "by means of
which they communicate their sentiments to
each other" Capt. Cartwright gives it as the
result OF rs years experience that they possess
social and political organization, with clearly
defined views OF personal property aud terri
tOTial rights. A beaver found trespassing upon
the domain of another tribe, " is brought before
their chief. who for the first offense Furnishes
him al c0rTsctioaeH, aud for the second depTives
him of his tail" There is this much truth iu
| the above, namely, that communities maltreat
their idle and useless members, and that
beavers, like elephants. bite of each others
! tails. The valuable pelage of Castorid9, Z" with
It's dense and COpious pile Of soft grayish under
fur, overlaid with polished and gistening
chestnut brown hairs" changes its appearance,
according to DIR. Goldman, with age, season,
disease or accident, and hence such reports as
/ Mackenzie heard, of red beavers along the river
that bears his name Ali beavers do not live
in huts; many, especially Of the European
variety, are burrOwing animals. They never
! occupy communal dwellings, although COM
positc houses are constructed, each of which,
! however, has its own door, and Is essentially
separate from the others. Piie-driying upOa
the part Of these creatures is q fiction, and all
their structures rest upon the ground. When
the water in front of his residence Is not deep
enough to prevent the ice from entangling the
wood sunk for Winter subsistence before the
door, or when he himself may thus be inn
| prisoned by IL, the beaver dredgeS the bottom
| 10 the required depth. If the current of the
stream which he dams for the same purpose is
strong, the line Of embaukment is made con-
vex, the cOnvexity presenting in the direction
of pressure. All dams are not constructed OF
/ prepared materials; some are made of
ANY WASTE MATTER
| that lies about in the vicinity. Neither are they
/ alike in thesubstances used, which, except wood
beavers carry pressed TO the throat by their
/ forepaws, while they swim strongly with their
! wehbed hind feet. The tail may be scaly, but
| so is the outer skin of all mammals. "Couverte
d'ecaillos," in Buttons sense, it is not. Boiled
! tai" is also no doubt to some " a delicious
/ morse" as Dali protests, and. as Lord SOutheSk
| thinks, " free from the painful suspicious which
! interfere with the enjoyment Of roast skunk. "
| There are many, however, who have recorded
I Il different opinion.
Once beavers were distributed over the
! greater portion Of North America, but in vast
areas they are now extinct, and the same is
! true with regard 10 Europe. In ending this
! imperfect sketch IL may be said that in walk
/ Tug the whole heel touches the ground, and
| that they never travel by land when water
way is open. Beavers are vegetable feeders
| they do not subsist upon she'll fish, rs Ponlet
! Thought, but consume bark, and during Win
! ter tho roots and stalk of the yellow water
! lily (Nuphor luteuml. Hearne's pets ate veni-
son steak and plum pudding but usually their
1 tastes are simpler as their opportunities are
| less The voice of mature animals Goldman
describes as like groan"; the young. say
! several observers, utter a cry not unlike that
of infants Five are often born together, and
! sometimes more. They are very playful and
! Capt. franklin relates a story of their pushing
each other off of a log into the water just as
schoolboys might do Dali attributes this
| spor.ive disposition to adults also who are, he
states, given to coasting" upon smooth slopes
of mud, and " fond of gymnastics for their own
| sake" Upon the whole captivity seems "a
bcsot beavers who only appear to advantage in
Il state of nature, where despite the natural
| reaction from those extravagaucies of which
! they have been the subject, enough remain:
which may be justly claimed for them TO make
CastoridH among the most interesting of ami
mails.
To be eoBtinucil
| Work of the Pension OnIcc
| During the week ending May 5, 1890 492E
! claims were received, Of which I,55i were Origi
nal invalid, 547 widows, war of 1912, Il
bounty land, so navy, old war; IS on ac
! count of Mexican service and 2.5S3 appica
tions for increase; applications for accrued
| pensions, 104 The names and postoflice adj