Stories about the Instinct of Animals, Their Characters, and Habits | Page 6

performed
with great danger even by a number of men. Instead, however, of
exhibiting his usual vicious disposition, the horse, in the present case,
was looking with the greatest complacency on the little groom, who
soon after, to the very great relief of his father, walked off unhurt."
CHAPTER II.
Uncle Thomas tells about the Beaver, and the Singular Manner in
which it Constructs a Dam to confine the Waters of the River; and
about the Hut which it builds for its Habitation. He tells also about the
Curious Nests of the Sociable Grosbeak; and gives a Long and
Entertaining Account of the White Ant of Africa; its Extraordinary
Nest; and the Important Part which it acts in the Economy of Nature.
"Good evening, Boys! I am going to tell you about a very singular
animal to-night--singular both in its conformation and its habits. I
allude to the Beaver."
"Oh, we shall be so glad to hear about the Beaver, Uncle Thomas. I
have sometimes wondered what sort of an animal it is. It is of its skin
that hats are made--is it not?"

"It is so, Harry--at least it is of the fur with which its skin is covered. I
must tell you about the manufacture of hats at some other time. Our
business at present is with the Beaver itself. I think we shall get on
better by confining our attention to the animal now, and examine into
its habits and instincts."
"Very well, Uncle Thomas, we are all attention."
"The Beaver, which is now only to be found in the more inaccessible
parts of America, and the more northern countries of Europe, affords a
curious instance of what may be called a compound structure. It has the
fore-feet of a land animal, and the hind ones of an aquatic one--the
latter only being webbed. Its tail is covered with scales like a fish, and
serves to direct its course in the water, in which it spends much of its
time.
"On the rivers where they abound, they form societies sometimes
consisting of upwards of two hundred. They begin to assemble about
the months of June and July, and generally choose for the place of their
future habitation the side of some lake or river. If a lake, in which the
water is always pretty nearly of a uniform level, they dispense with
building a dam, but if the place they fix upon be the banks of a river,
they immediately set about constructing a pier or dam, to confine the
water, so that they may always have a good supply."
"That is an instance of very singular sagacity Uncle Thomas. I suppose
it is their instinct which teaches them to act in this manner."
"You are right, Frank. Well, the mode in which they set about
constructing the dam is this: having fixed upon the spot, they go into
the neighbouring forest, and cut quantities of the smaller branches of
trees, which they forthwith convey to the place selected, and having
fixed them in the earth, interweave them strongly and closely, filling up
all the crevices with mud and stones, so as soon to make a most
compact construction."
"That must be a work of very great labour, Uncle Thomas."

"The labour is very considerable, Boys; but the power which, for want
of a better name, we call Instinct, comes wonderfully to their aid. For
instance, it has been observed that they seek all the branches which
they want on the banks of the river, higher up than their construction,
so that having once got them conveyed to the water, they are easily
floated to it."
"Very good, Uncle Thomas."
"When the beavers have finished the dam, they then proceed to
construct a house for themselves. First they dig a foundation of greater
or less capacity, in proportion to the number of their society. They then
form the walls of earth and stones, mixed with billets of wood crossing
each other, and thus tying the fabric together just in the same way as
you sometimes see masons do in building human dwellings. Their huts
are generally of a circular form, something like the figure of a haycock,
and they have usually several entrances--one or more opening into the
river or lake, below the surface of the water, and one communicating
with any bushes and brushwood which may be at hand, so as to afford
the means of escape in case of attack either on the land or water side."
"They must be pretty safe then, Uncle Thomas, since they can so
readily escape."
"They are pretty secure so long as they have only unreasoning animals
to contend with, Frank; but when man, armed with the power, before
which mere Instinct must at all times bow, attacks them, they are