"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."