BEAVER.

THE beaver is one of the most wonderful animals in existence. It was formerly an inhabitant of England, and the names of some places are still in existence as a record of the fact, as, for instance, Beverley, in Yorkshire, formerly, it is believed, spelled Beverlac, or the lake of beavers; Bevere, in Worcestershire, and perhaps others.

"The beaver forms one of that class of animals which are called amphibious, that is, capable of living both on land and in water; all such, however, we find are more attached to the water, and generally make for it when pressed by any danger. The beaver is the only creature, among quadrupeds, that has a flat broad tail, covered with scales, which it uses as a rudder in the water. Its toes are webbed, which enables it to swim with great facility. It is about three feet long, and nearly one foot high.

It is found in the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and America; but it is chiefly in the latter where it has been last discovered that its instincts are most strongly marked-where they erect habitations with wonderful ingenuity and regularity. They cut with surprising ease large pieces of wood, which they fix on the ground at a small distance one from the other, filling up the interstices with clay. Having thus formed a dam against the violence of the stream, they next construct their apartments; the inside of which they plaster with great neatness; then they bring forth their young, and live in families; and here also they lay up wood, cut into billets of

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convenient size for their consumption at their leisure. These stores are larger or smaller in proportion to the number in family. The logs are not thrown up in one continual pile, but laid one across the other, as chandlers pile their bars of soap, in order to take out, with the greater facility but just such a quantity as they shall want for their immediate consumption, and those parcels only which lie at the bottom in the water, and have been duly steeped. This timber is cut again into small particles, and conveyed to one of their largest lodges, where the whole family meet to consume their respective dividends, which are made impartially, in even and equal portions.

Such as are used to hunt these animals know perfectly well that green wood is much more acceptable to them than that which is old and dry; for which reason they plant a considerable quantity of it round their lodgments; and as they come out to partake of it, they either catch them in snares or take them by surprise. In the winter, when frosts are very severe, they sometimes break a large hole in the ice; and when the beavers resort thither for the benefit of a little fresh air, they either kill them with their hatchets or cover the opening with a large substantial net. After this, they undermine and subvert the whole fabric; whereupon the beavers, in hopes to make their escape in the usual way, fly with the utmost precipitation to the water, and plunging into the aperture, fall directly into the net, and are inevitably taken."