The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-01-07
Uses His Large, Broad Tail Justas a
Mason Does TroWe|.
CONFIRMATION OF THE THEORY
Interesting Accom-. by Dr.. Edscrton
Il. Young Who, While IL Mission
airy to the Red lntlianz, Wit
messed Beavers at Work.

to publish an article sent you, entltleu
THE Beaver in Virginia.. y number oil
the most Intelligent gentlemen in the State
thanked me for writing it. In it very
interesting question was raised in regard
to the use the beavers make Of their broad
trowel-shapcd tails. The use by them OF
this aDpendagc was conceded by all IN
one respect, that is, to give an alarm OF
danger by one to others at play or at
work. believe they also use 1t ike inc
wild duck uses its wings. TO snow us
exhliration when q number are sporting
themselves together, and the noise mace
is similar. But the editor of Ine Ma
turaiist' disputes the claim heretofore
made that the beavers use their tails
TO carry mud to their dams, and then.
as trowels, TO plaster o.. apply the mud on
the dams, which in Virginia they bu:id
SO ia pdly and scientifically. as attempts
ed to describe inNmy article, alEced 10
above. I believe they did make such
use, because the very shape Of their talls
indicated their purpose, and the flnlsn OF
their dams show that the work on them
must have been done in some other way
than with their feet, as some cia.iheu
they only use But as beavers in NiTGihld'
SO far as my observation and ino"ieuse
extended, never work on their cams III
the daytime-carry.ng on work "no!lE a
night never could positively assure my.
self of their mode of working. although
have lain so near them that could near
them cutting down the saplinss with their
teeth Neither could / get the proof from
others who had long and oerslstehtiS
watched them, not particularly to estao-
fish the point~raised. but TO Kill ana Trap
them. I was, therefore, much grained 10
read in the last number Of the Ledger
I,I1- observations oil LIZ.
Edgerton r. Young. of Canada. who mas
spcnt many years IN Manitoba as q mis-
sionary to the iRed Indians had the
pleasure Of meeting him some time SINCE,
and from what saw and heard OF MN
! have every reason to believe that ne IS
truthful and reliable. He saw the beavers
in broad daylight at work
l ask you to COPY his very interesting
account Of what he considers the most
intelligent of all quadrupeds. To NE Il
| IS conclusive proof of the point Claimed
by myself and others.
DIR. YOUNG,S ACCOUNT.
For years it has been great pleasure
to me to watch and study the habits ana
characteristics OF many animals, and 10
endeavor to compare the perseverance.
Intelligence or industry of one with
another. and as a result, I have no hes
tancy in saying as far as my obscrva-
lions have gone, the beaver heads the
list. Marvelously clever were some OF
my dogs. And living, as I did, with
dogs that ploushed my fields, narrowed
in my grain, dragged home my wood
for MISSION church and school house,
and also were my gallant train on those
long journeys Of hundreds Of miles, and
then often my bed-fellows at night IN the
wintry camp in the SHOW, I saw instances
of sagacty and intelligence that won
my admiration and bound very closely
soto f,~fI dc
one days watching Of beavers at %ork,
and then in the study and examination
of their dams and houses. have Seea
that which amazed and astonlshed me
more than the doinss OF any other OF
the brute creation. or course, do not
speak OF their love or affection. l never
,amed one, or tried to do So Others
have done 50, and say they are affeetion-
ate pets. | am writing only of those
characteristics that came under my own
observation.
l have seen stumrs of trees. over two
feet in diameter, that had been cut off
by them. They can always throw the
tree just where they wart it to go. When
out in the forest With my Indian wood
men, chopping down the large trees Tor
our great winter fires, as we had alo
coal in that land, I have been amused by
hearing the men say, as they anNiousiy
watched to see where the trees they
had TO cut would fall: Beavers ore bette
at this work than we. They know ex-
actly where the tree they have cut will
fall. They never even look up as it
comes crashing down just where they
wanted it to co. ] first thought this
was some OF their nonsense, but I found
out, after years of inquiry and observa-
ton, that is was the fact. They are very
numerous in the Nelson River county.
and there some of their largest houses
and dams are to be found.
THE SENTINEL.
With the greatest interest, I have, from
wooded hilltop or bluff. watched
through a telescope q colony of these
clever beavers a work. Ii the pond
was made, it was generally quite easy
as guard for all. His place was fra
quently on q stump out in the water,
which only rose a few inches above; it.
Apparently he was only !azily summing
himself while all the rest were indus
triously at work. But to find out his
true position. all W. have 20 do Is to
make sll ,ht noise, and instantly his
broad tail comes down IN the water with
a slap SO vigorous that it sounds like a
| pistol-shot.- Having sounded his note of
| danger. he quickly dives out of sight
into the water. and everyone of the col
, ony, no matter how ne may have been
employed, quickly follows. Where all
WAS ACTIVITY u Kew minutes ago, now al
! is apparent soutude- But il our pa
tience will hold out. and the wind is
blowing from them to us, we Will soon
see them at work again.
AS we keep perfectly still we observe
on the quiet. CLASSY water a faint dis
turbance away OF at ono side. If our
telescope is powerful enough, we can see
that it is caused by the old sentinel
| seaNer. who is quietly polling UP. first his
nose to smell ard then his eyes to see if
he can discover what it was that had
| alarmed him. AS we are very quiet and
completely hid from him, he cannot de-
,ect US. Still. he is.very wary, and 50 he
sinks again cut of sight and swims to an
ether part of TIE pond. Here he again
ONES Up. very cautiously, to the surface,
ma tries to discover any signs Of dam
-er.
It is fortunate for us that the wind is
! owing from him to us. If it were other
Use, he would soon have see ted US. and
our coming to see them at work would
awe been in vain. AS 1t IS. he Dies NOT
suspect our presence. and as there is
much work to he done he soon imagines