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Show THE DEAVER. Rora it tlio KlrniiE" Thlnes Said of Ilia Cunnlnc Anliiiiil. All old hunter writing to tho Chicago Times on thu habits nf the bcnver.savsi "Thcro is 110 doubt of the sagacity nnd Intelligence of tho beaver, and the attempt of thu writer of tho article to catch the beaver by setting a trap In tho dam after cutting It away will ammo every old trapper that reads it. Tho boaver will Invnrlably use tlio trap to repair his broken dam, and will very soldom bo caught In that way. Many trappers havo also had tho oxpo-rlunco oxpo-rlunco of having tholr traps filled with mud and sticks when thoy hnvo attempted at-tempted to trap him on n log by removing re-moving tlio pllo of mud placed thcro before and sotting a Iran in its place. Tho bcavor Is too sharp for that, but is easily caught whon tho trapper has learned how. It Is an impression with many that tho beaver tisos his broad, flat tail as a trowel and to carry rnud, etc., to build their dams, but such Is not tho case They use their short foro legs and paws to carry u mud nud grass from the bottom of tlio lakes thoy inhabit, and inako piles of mud und grass, such as settles to tho bottom 011 the logs that lay out from tho shores. Tho wrltor wns never able to learn tho object of this, but presumes thoy found soino articlo of food in It. Their food consists, mostly, of tho bark of tho willow and Cottonwood, which tiioy cut doun and cut into sticks about four feet long, and, by somo process known only to thu beaver himself, thoy will sink to tho bottom of tho lake or bayou, and there thoy remain re-main until nccltiid for use. Thoy also will cut down tho whlto ash. Tho writer of this measured a whlto ash that was nearly cut 'down that measured meas-ured twenty Inches iu diameter. What their object was iu this is indefinite, in-definite, as it wus not no;ir nny dam and could not bo ued for any purposo except forfood. Tho bcavor'makes an interesting pot. Thoy are easily tamed, 1110 entirely harmless, nnd havo n verv decided propensity to build dams. If they can get tho material they will dam at tho loast provocation, or rather opportunity. Thuru in uo danger of their bolng worried by dogs, ns ono old beaver, howovor pcacoiiblc, would make a bulldog palo with envy at the way ho can uso thoso cutting teeth when tho occasion requires. Tho writer expects to pass tho winter win-ter lu a beaver country and try to bring home a few young beaver iu tho Bpilug. Iu localities whorq thoy are not limited or trappod thofo would bo uo1 froublo to got a litter of young onos, but such localities nro rather scarco at present unless 0110 goes well up toward tlio Illnckfoot reservation, nnd tliore are fow hunters that caro about enduring endur-ing tho hardships of a winter in that locality." |