Show BEAVER AN EXPERT WORKER little animal excels lumber jacks as tree fellers fetters and Is a prize dam builder the most expert lumber jack is in fenior to tha th beaver as a tree f feller eller he ile cuts down trees in the most scientific way he ire can fell a tree so it w hlll III fall toward the pond where he wishes to construct Ms his home thus saving him self unnecessary work after the trees are felled the con st ruction work begins he ile works chief ly by night for he Is a nocturnal prow pron ler the moon Is his lantern the quiet of the night his inspiration his sharp teeth are his hatchet and chisel and his little paws are his means of conveyance convey ince his spade his hammer alq his trow trowel el ills hard flat ha hairless and scaly tall tail is a propeller when swimming and a balance when he is cutting timber for he stands on his I 1 lind ind legs AN while hile gna gnan gnawing N ing dow down n trees the beaver Is a strict vegetarian and his diet consists chiefly of barks tender shoots and water plants th trees which furnish the bark he most likes are the cottonwood poplar elm willow birch aspen and boxelder box elder the bark of the oak ash and hickory he does not eat to flood lo 10 v ground the beavers sometimes have to build a dam ex beeding 59 50 feet in length they usual ly lav it out with the curve facing up the foundation is built of 1 poles tour four or five feet long by an inch or two thick these they laj crosswise filling all crevices with rith mud the beaver digs up mud with hit fore feet then holds it close to hi breast with his fore legs swims ti t where he has started his dam and having deposited it in its proper place beats the mud down with I 1 Is paws not w with ith his tall tail as has been believed st nicholas |