The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-01-30
INTELLIGENCE : OF : THE : BEAVER.

t smed one, or tried to do &C. Others
have done so, and say they are afec-
tionate pets. l am writing only Of
those characteristics that came under
my own observation
I have seen stumps OF trees, over
two feet in diameter, that had been
cut off by them. They can always
throw the tree 1 t where they want it
to go. WHEN out in the forest with
my Indian w%oodUen, cho2piDg down
sue large trees for Gus great winter
fires, as we had no coal IN tnat land,
/ have been amused by hearing tire
men say, as they eDxi1usly watched
10 see where the trees they had 70 cut
would fali: "B ave- are better at this
work than we. TdeY know exactly
where the tree they have to cut will
fall They never even look up as, as it
comes crashing down just where they
Pauted i5 to go l first thought the
vas so ne of their nonsense, but I found
out, after years of inquiry and obser
walton, that it was the fact. Thew are
very numerous in the Nelson River
county. and there some of their larges
b uees and dams are to be found.
THE SENTINEL Will the greatest
interest, | nave, from a wooded hill
top or bluff. watched through a tele
scope a colony of these clever beaver g
at work. If the pond was made, it
was generally quite easy TO single out
che old Waterman who acted as guard
for all. His pla 70 was trt quantity on q
stump out In the water, which only
rose a few inches above it. App9r
entity he was only laz!Iy summing HIM
self Waiie ell the rest were indus RI
ously as work. But to find Gus his
true position, all we have to do is to
make q sligh5 noise, and instantly his
broad tail comes down on the water
with a slap so Vigorous tina is sounds
like a pistoLsa1t. Having sounded
his note of d4ng2r. be quickly dives
out OF sigh into che Wager, aud every
one Of the colony, No matter no Y he
may have been employed, quickly
follows. Where all WIS., activity a few
minutes ago, now all is apparent soil
tude, But II our patience will bid
out, and the wind is blowing from them
to US, we will loon see them at work
again.
As we keep perfectly still we observe
on the quiet, CLASSY water a faint dis
~Eurbance away # at one side. II our
telescope is powerful enough. we can
ace that it ia caused by the old senti
mel beaver, who il qliedy poking up,
first his nose to smell and then his eyes
TO @ if he al discover what il was
that had alarmed him. AS we are
very qliet and CON pletely hid from
him, he cannot detect us. Still, he is
very wary, and so he sinks again cut
Of sight and sWims to another part of
the pond. Here he again comes up,
very cautiously, to the surface, and
tries to discover any signs of danger.
Az 40 " 60L0bO AOE 0S bndG Uu6 "44u
is downright from him to US. If it
were other wise he would soon have
scente d US, and our coming to see them
at work would have been in vain. As
it is, he does not suspect our presence,
and as here Is Il UGH work to be done,
be soon imagines that his had been a
faIs3 alarm, aud so he qlieEly swims
back to his SUM in the middle of the
pond. After a cautious survey and
intense listening, he becomes satisfied
that all is right and then, with two
sharp, loud slsps on the water, with
his broad tail, he summons them to
work. Very quickly do they respond.
HIS TRAvEL.-The quiet waters
seem to boil almost as ! wenty or thirty
beavers coma up to the surface AMI
swim off or walk off to their various
duties Some Of them are cutting into
logs, some large trees that they had re-