The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-08-21

10 cause the water 10 row over INV ~
IA freshets and press Il down and not
undermine II. This dam was frequently
removed to prevent damage 10 the lAni
above. and as often rebuilt. the mud
and sticks used in It having In each
Instance been brought q considerable
dissQnce.
OBJECTS OF THE DAN.
The objects ATTAINED BY the beaver N
building dams arc various and obvious.
First. IN shallow streams II Is neees-
sary for them to darn the current so
that they may have water deep enough
for them to dive our OF sight In case
OF danger To accomplish this, they VIII
build dams as high SIS five rect one
OF which I measured not twenty steps
from the public road. Though not ma
turally very wild. yet they are saga
cl0us enough 20 SWIM when In DANCER
with only their noses exposed ana some
times wholly under water. They eouiu
not do this in shallow water, nor II
rapids.
Second Their habliatlons or ders al
ways have an entrance under me va
ter, rising thence into hillside or dun
IN successive levels I'LL a levd Is tound
high enough 70 be above high water ~
freshets. IN these dans they remain IN
the daytime. In order 70 secure ayr Tor
breathing there IS also an opening on
the ground above. and sometimes mere
than one for safety and convenience.
Third The beaver Hives mainly ON the
bark or trees and shrubs In winter ana
weeds and plants IN summer When
these are exhausted in the larger streams
they seek tho smaller streams. In
small stream they have no water deep
enough o. swim in. and therefore they
proceed az once 10 dam il. and get the
proper depth and 10 spread the water
cut so that instead OF travelling on dry
. ground 70 reach tho desired objects they
can swim 10 them. / have seen q clover
Geld flooded and the clover grazed down
ty them. and also seen the srean corn
cut down by them. They do not IKE
dry ground nor viii they travel on II
far. except In rare cases. They seem
10 be aware that their strong scent
would make them liable 20 be tracked
on the ground by dogs; and besides they
are much better az swimming 1h&n run
ning.
The dams are bjlt in the might. The
animal is seldom seen IN the daytime,
unless they have been urimoestcd long
time or the young ores have not Learnt
ed that thoy are liable TO be disturbed.
HOW THEY ARE HUNTED.
In quiet, remote locations. they VIII
como out early I'm the twilight some
times. before sunset. I killed one once
before sunset with my rife. They are
oftener shot about twilight, evening or
morning Unless killed outright. they
often escape into the holes above de-
scr.bcd. They are hunted sometimes
with dogs when w1tor IN the streams
Is very low IN summer. In this way !
have known several 20 be caught in one
day They are also trapped With strong
steel traps. which must he - placed as
20 swing OF BY o cAain into water deep
enough 20 drown the animal, othsrWlse
tho animal viii sever the leg caught IN
the trap and escape. A few win,eTs
since. number o. skilled trappers from
the North visited Nottoway and Lunen-
burg and caught a number OF beavers
FOR their skins which bring good prices
r-h4a the fur ls fashionable. Since that
time they have not been 80 numerous.
and are now rarely seen on the smell
stream. where Tor twenty years they
were humorous.
The f8vorite food OF the beaver In win
ter Is the bark o. resinous trees. sach as
the swoet-gum. the cedar. The pine. ana
Lombardy poplar a number OF when
latter trees Wcr6 set ont on the banks
OF the Hr0tfowav 10 atrerRfhen them. and
which were ail cut down by the beavers
The wood OF this being soft the beavers
would cut down quite large trees. uslnS
their chisol-ike gceth IA doing II. The
stumns looked Ike thoy had been hack
"a with dun hatchets. Their teeth are
shaped Hike chiseis or g0ugos. and are
very sharp J think they use the teeth
OF the lOWler jaw mainly .n cutting down
trees.
jefferson, in his Notes on Virginia.
gives the average weight OF the Amer
lean beaver at forty-nve pounds. I think
this IS fair average OF the Virginia
beaver Audubon says that one was kill
cd that weighed 5iNty-One pounds. /
think ono of nay neishbOrs reported the
gross weight OF one he killed at sixty
I'VE pounds
HISTORY or 1T ~ VIRGINIA
There is but one species Of the beaver
Castor known in America. It's habits
are the same in Ike circumstances. but
modified 90 suit different localities
Beverly. ia bis History % Virginia,
mentions Tie beaver as found In the
state. In tho clearing up or the bottom
lands OF Eastern Virginia. the animal
seems 20 have been driven out ~ the
country. Just as the deer and other anil
mails have been. Ia the Farmers Re
gistor. published By Edmund Ruiiin, in
5000. several correspondents, an living
on Nottoway river, report that beavers
were common On that stream. AZ that
tim, they were not known on the streams
north Of that river Audubon, Ia
"OuadruDcds OF North America" speaks
OF occasional traces " them being OBJ
ser-vad iu this state. That the animal
has been common on the N0ttOway and
co-termnus streams from time immom0-
ral Is well established fact. but why
ho should have held out on those waters,
when he ceased 90 exist on other wac
ters. b. not 500 clear. 10 may be that
the N0ltOWly MSS not cleared OF its trees
and brush ls fully as other streams, and
thus offered better range and more SEE
cIusi0l than other streams in The State.
Bar this does not explain the migration,
alluded to below.
The temperance OF the beaver IN the
streams seeking the Chesapeake Bay Is
Of recent date I think IL can Do oc-
counted FOR In 1917 a mill-dam on tie
Idtue NotoWay river, at a point where
the stream seemed 10 have forced pas
sage through "a high. rocky ridge, was
cut down. On one side was "the noun
tain" with rs summit If enormous
rocks. under ono OF which was an Indian
cave. which was the Meditation OF some
OF the Holloway Trhe'-a perfect re-
fuee from the elements and fronting
% The south. Its roof was then aud is
now marked By the impression IN red
paint IL q human hand and q turkey
foot. doubtless painted there By ils first
occupants. on the other side arose a
steep biuf with large rocks, but not as
large as on the mountain side. Above
this dam on the river / and my family
for three generations had previously
lived. but ! had never seen nor head
a. any siTns Of beaver ON this stream.