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an amphibious animal; and, where the intruion of man does not prevent, live together in a tate of civil government, and appear the only intance of brutes forming a regular community, governed by dometic laws. The time of aembling is about the months of June or July, when a ociety is formed, which lats the greater part of the year; the reort is from all quarters, and ometimes a troop of 200 or 300 aemble; the place of rendezvous is generally uitable for the colony, either on the banks of a lake, or on a running water. In the latter cae, to guard againt a udden well of the river, a bank or dam is formed acros the tream, frequently of an hundred feet long; this is done by firt driving takes five or ix feet long, placed on a row, with mall twigs interwoven, and the interfaces filled with clay; this dam is 10 or 12 feet thick at the bae, and gradually diminihes to 2 or 3 at the top. The ide next the head of water is loped, the other is perpendicular.

The dam or mole being finihed, the next care is to erect the everal apartments or dwellings, which they build on piles or takes drove into the ground for that purpoe, and are either round or oval, divided into tories, to ecure a retreat from welling floods. The firt is below the level of the dam, and is uually full of water; the walls are about 2 feet thick, made of earth, tones and ticks, mot artfully laid together; the inide is neatly plaitered as with a trowel. Each houe, which is about 8 feet above the water, has two openings, one into the water, the other towards the land. The ize of the dwelling is proportioned to the number of Beavers which are to inhabit it, uually from 10 to 30. It has been oberved, that 400 Beavers have reided in one large manion, divided into a vat number of apartments, that had a free communication one with another. Thee works are finihed by Augut or September; when they begin to lay in their tores, which conits principally of the wood of the birch, the plane, &c. which they teep in water, in quantities proper for ue; the ummer food is freh leaves and fruits; are not fond of fih.

The benefits reulting from patient pereverance have become proverbial, and a more triking intance of the good effects cannot be given than the completion of thee urpriing works, which are begun by mere intinct, and are finihed by mere indutry. In the labours of this ociety every Beaver bears a part; ome, by gnawing with their teeth, fell trees of great ize, to erve as beams or piles; others drive them along the water, and, with their feet, coop holes in which to place them; while others help to rear them up. Another party is employed in collecting twigs to weave between the takes; a third in collecting earth, tones, and clay; while a fourth is buied in beating or tempering the mortar, which is done with the tail; others are employed in carrying it on the broad part of the tail to proper places, and with the ame intrument ram it between the piles, or plaiter the houes. A certain number of mart trokes given with the tail, is a ignal given by the overeer for repairing to certain places to mend any defect, or at the approach of ome enemy; and the whole ociety attend with the readiet aiduity.

The teeth of the Beaver are admirably adapted for cutting timber, or tripping the bark, to which purpoes they are o frequently applied. Is an inoffenive animal, and eeks afety rather in flight than conflict. The fur of the Beaver is of great ervice in the hat trade; it alo produces a valuable drug, called catoreum; are hunted, and taken in traps and nares; inhabit mot northern climes, but are no where found in uch abundance as in Canada in America. The trade for Beavers furs with the Indians is a ource of great wealth to the Hudon’s Bay Company. The length of the Beaver is about 2 feet, height 1; tail 4 inches broad, 1 or 1½ thick. The colour a fine chenut brown; the hair of different lengths and finenes; is the only animal whoe toes on the hind feet are joined by a membrane, while thoe on the fore feet are not; the front feet upply the place of hands, imilar to the Squirrel.