Habits Of The Beaver

I hui well iL-quainLe 1 with the habits of thc northern bcaver. Several yeare ago I bought up scveral huodrcd acres of mining lands near thc south shore of lake Superior, nOotoMgoaCouoty, Mich. UnCarp river, asinall stream that crossed a part of' my lands, the beavers hail huilt several daius, and foruied extensivo pon Is, in which they built their houses or lodges, as the Inillans cali (hem. Thaae lodget are built in water several feet in depth, hut the floor of the lodga is huilt at least two fcet above water mark. The floor is built solid IViPiii tin1 botton of tbe pond except the entrauec. Although tlic bcavfiis wanu'y olad with long, fine fur, lie a very sensitive to thc cold, aud rarely if ever leaves thc nond or lodgfc durinc the cold weathor. He lays in bis winter lood, whieh mainly conshtn of the bark of a certain kind of poplar. He cuts down small trees and cuts thcm iota short pieces of a foot qr a little over in length and takes tlicm into the pond. Thcsc nicces of wood are draggcd up into the louge as ofteü as food ia requircd, and the bark is gnuwed off; and aftcr being dcnudcd ol the bark they are by no means thrown away asuselese, but are taken onder the ice and earefully placed in the dam to strengthen it. Tbey built one d;im a little bclow the foot of Cmrp lmke, which raised the lake tliirty inches. The lake is a smal] one. beat om mlle long and a fourth ofaiuile wide. l measured the stump of a maple tree tbat tbey had cut down, and it was f'ourtcen ioobea in diameter. There were no Icss than eleven dains on tho streaui all in cight of our buildings, wbere we werc uiining for coppcr. The bcaver possesses great engineering skill, always building bis dam in the sbape of an areb, giving it stiength to resist the pressure of the water. The Indians used to teil me maoy singular traits of character