Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-02-17
THE BEAVER.

wrote the poet.
So with the beaver.
In the spring the young male beaver
selects a small stream, which has not
oeen damned, ami decides to locate
mere. Naturally ne does not care To
i've alone, so proceeds TO find mate.
One does not have TO 60 far to make
such discovery.
Rufus Galloway, explorer extraordi-
nary, aoides in territory where these
distinguished animals "hang out" and
for half a score of years has been
studying the habits of beavers north OF
Mhitecourt, Alberta. Whitecourt, by
the way, is on the Canadian Northern
railway about lao miles northwest of
Edmonton.
The beaver has been intimately as
Sociated with the Dominion of Canada
from its foundation. For many years
It formed the medium of exchange
among the pioneers, both fur traders
and other civilians. Those who have
made special study of beaver life
will agree with Rufus, who said that
Nature was certainly liberal when it
bestowed so much intelligence on this
animal.
Beaver is plentiful in Canada, and
visit to any forest reserve will re-
veal this fact. The Riding and Duck
mountains in Manitoba, accessible by
Canadian Northern, are homes for
hundreds of beaver, and Galloway in
his recent writings declares that there
are innumerable beaver in the north
ern part of Alberta.
North of RosSburn, in Manitoba,
discovery has been made as to how the
beavers mate. His form of mating is
most peculiar. The beaver has two
pear shaped glands which sec,et 4
fluid known as beaver castor hav-
ing an odor somewhat resembling
musk. He deposits his castor" on
moss. This is known as the scent
nil. MIR: Beaver then proceeds up
stream TO start the dam and leaves
these scent hills TO mark his course,
knowing full we'll that before long he
will have a mate. Guided by scent
/ hill young Miss Beaver knows that UP
stream there is a mate starting home
Tor her, If she cares to 90 to him. Mr.
Beaver finds out that cit pays TO adver-
tiSe" and soon the two beavers arc
wnrEIpu rho o,,J al tI,
house. Having established his home
II is necessary TO defend it from attack
and supply it with food. AS for cloth
ing, nature has given the beaver one
of the warmest and most luxurious
coats in all the world; so he does not
have to worry about his own nor his
wife's wardrobe. Lucky fellow.
The modern beaver works mostly
by the light of the stars and moon,
seldom by daylight. In older days
ii is believed they worked like other
respectable animals. 1t was man who
compelled the beaver to conceal him
self in the daytime. Men discovered
that beaver meat was palatable and the
fur of the beaver extremely valuable,
the result was that one of the most
| interesting animals in te world was in
danger of determination, being eagerly
sought either for one or both reasons
indicated. The beaveroowes his ex-
istence today to the native wit which
enables him to carry on his work with
smell in the beaver is very acute and
it is necessary to approach them with
a due regard to the wind which must
not blow from the hunter toward the
beaver.
The houses constructed by the beaver
they are merely burrows in the bank.
The entrance to it is below the water
line; and other times, the house will
consist of a cave in the bank Of the
stream or lake, cunningly protected
by heap Of brush piled against the
opening. The entrance, as before, is
from beneath so that the wolf and other
marauders cannot attack them. Usually
the beavers home is built surrounded
entirely by water and well advanced
before the dam is completed. Very
often an island is chosen as the site of
house; the dam foods the house with
water up to 5 or feet above which is
the upper, dry level reaching several
feet above high water. 1t is evident
fom study of the houses that the
beaver has magical way of drying
himself for the upper levels used by him
as sleeping places, are generally found