and when he reaches a stream
or any other water near which he believes beavers may be found, he sets
his trap, about six inches under the water. He then chews the end of a
twig, dips it in the castor, and sticks it in with the scented end
uppermost, just a little above the water. The nearest beaver, on
discovering the scent, hurries up to the spot; and, if a young animal,
is nearly certain to be caught by the trap. The older beavers are more
knowing and cautious, and frequently bite off the end of the twig
without entangling themselves.

Another curious circumstance connected with this "castoreum" is, that as
soon as one beaver has deposited any of it on the ground, the beavers
from another lodge go to the spot, and after covering it with earth and
leaves, deposit their own "castoreum" on it. When they have gone away,
others in turn perform the same operation; and thus the process goes on
till a heap four or five feet in height has been raised. No one has as
yet been able to ascertain the object of this proceeding. It gives the
trapper, however, the means of catching the poor creatures--means which
they would undoubtedly withhold, if they had the power. Like human
beings, they are sufferers from their own acts.

The teeth of the beavers are sharp and powerful, and their jaws possess
an extraordinary amount of strength. This enables them to bite through
wood, tear the bark from trees, and chew vegetable substances of all
sorts. During summer they regale themselves on fruits and plants of
various descriptions; but their winter stock of food consists of the
bark of the birch, plane, and other trees--and even of the young wood
itself, which they steep in water before devouring it.

Their favourite resort is a stream or a pool near trees. Here they will
assemble to the number of some hundreds, living in communities, and
working together. They select, when they can, a stream with a current,
because it affords them the means of conveying wood and other materials
for their habitations. They choose such parts as will afford them depth
of water sufficient to resist the frost in winter, and prevent it
freezing to the bottom. When, however, they find that there is not
depth enough for this purpose, they build a dam across the stream, at a
convenient distance below their habitations. If the current is gentle,
the dam is made perfectly straight; but if rapid, it is constructed with
a considerable curve, the convex sid