make
his escape. In the case of the stone a duplicate rope or chain
will be required to lift it in case of capture.

The trap may be set at the entrance to the holes in the banks,
two or three inches under water, implanting the stick with the
castoreum bait directly over the pan, a few inches above the water.
If the water should be deep near this spot, it is an excellent plan
to weight the end of the chain with a large stone with a "leader"
from it also, as already described. Insert two or three sticks in
the bank beneath the water, and rest the stone upon them.

When the beaver is caught he will turn a somersault into deep water,
at the same time dislodging the stone, which will sink him. No sooner
is a break ascertained in the dam than all the beavers unite in
fixing it, and this peculiarity of habit may be turned to account in
trapping them. Make a slight break in the dam, five inches across,
beneath the water. On the under side of the break, and of course,
on the inside of the dam, the trap should be set. The beavers will
soon discover the leak and the capture of at least _one_ is certain.
The trap may be also set where the beavers are wont to crawl on
shore, being placed several inches below the water in such a position
that they will step on it when in the act of ascending the banks.
Where the weighted stone is not used, the sliding pole page 145
[Page 182]
should always be employed, as it is necessary to drown the animal,
to prevent amputation and escape.

The food of the beaver consists chiefly of the bark of various
trees, together with aquatic plants. The fur is valuable only in
the late fall, winter, and early spring.

In skinning the beaver, a slit is made from the under jaw to the
vent, after which it is easily removed. It should be tacked to a flat
board, fur side in, or stretched by means of a hoop, as described
on page 275.

THE MUSKRAT.

The muskrat, or musquash, is very much like a beaver on a small
scale, and is so well-known throughout the United States that a
detailed description or illustration will hardly be necessary.
Reduce the size of the beaver to one foot in length, and add a
long flattened tail, instead of the spatula-shaped appendage of
this animal, and we will have a pretty good specimen of a muskrat.
The body has that same thick-set appearance, and the gnawing teeth
are very large and powerful. Like the beaver, the muskrat builds
its dome-like huts in ponds or swamps, which i