no common admiration ; they are thus constructed--the Beavers first collect together all the drift wood which they find along the river, and whenever this falls short, they gnaw away, in the next adjoining wood, the sweetest bark all around with the front teeth, of which they have two in the upper, and two in the lower gum, they then cut right around the trunk until the tree falls; when they also shorten the pieces in like manner, to adapt them to the proposed building. The females carry the pieces on the back, the males support it behind so that it may not fall off. The houses rise ingeniously to the height of five stories; they are smeared above with clay to protect them from the rain ; in the middle is a convenient aperture through which to dive into the water as soon as they perceive any person. Wherefore, one of the troop keeps watch by turns, and in the winter a second keeps the water open by constant beating of the tail. The tail is flattish without hair, and most dainty food which in some places is served up as arare delicacy. The beavers go with young sixteen weeks ; they bear once a year four young, which ery and suck like young children ; for the mother rises on her hind paws and gives each two a breast as she has only two breasts between the fore legs ; these legs resemble somewhat those of the dog; the hindmost, like those of geese, lap in some measure over each other. On both sides of the privy parts lie two swellings enclosed in separate membranes. From the privy parts oozes an oleaginous humor, with which they smear all the accessible parts of the body in order to keep dry.