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Show 170 Lewis mul Clm•kc's EXJJClliLiou. wool. '"fhc aninaal fr·om this evidence appears to be of the size. of oui' common sheep, of a. white colour: the woot is :fitH.' OJl many paJ'L of the body. but in length not equal to that of out· dome ·tic slu•rp. On the hacJ.~, and pat•lic·ularly on tht' top of tho hca<1, this is intm·mixNl "ith a conside~·aIJJt~ pl'O(lOI'tion of lot..g stl·aight hait·s. l•'t·ona the Indian account t hcse animals have Cl'cct lloint ed hot·n8: one of om· en gag('t>s iufot·med us thai he ha(] SC('n 0Jl'JH in the black hills, aud tiJat tlao hot·ns wet•e lunatetllike those ol' our donwstic sheep. 'y c have ncvc1·tht>less too many proofs to admit~ clouht of thcit> c ·isting, all(l in con~idcrahle numbers on the mountains neaP the coast. 10. The beaver of this country is hn•gc and fat: the flesh ls '\el'y palatable. aml at our table was a real luxur·y. On t)W 7th ol' JanUaJ'y. 1806, OUl' hnntN' found a beaVC'I' in his traps, of whidt lu· made a bait fot· taking others: tl1is bait will cnHec the beaver to the tr·ap, as fal' as he can smell it, and this may be fail'ly stated to be at the distance of a mile, as their sense of smelling is very acute. To ]H'epare beaver bate, the castor Ol' bal'l\. stone is fit·st gently }Jrcsscd f1·om the bl~dd~1·-likc bag whit.h contains it. into a phial of fom· ounces, with a large mouth: five or six of the e stones arc thus taken. to which must be added a nutmeg, a dozen ot· il.l'tl'en cloves, an<1 thirty grains of cinnamon, ftncly pulverizt• d and stirred together·, and as much ardent spil·its addetl to the comJlOsi tiou as w illt·cd uec the whole to the consistency of mustat·d. All this must be carefully em·kt"d, as it soon loses its efficacy il' exposed to open air·. The scent become:5 much strong~t· in four or five days aft.cr prepat·ation, and, providt~d IH'O!l<'l' precaution is exercised. will Jlreserve its ellicacy for mouths. Any strong aromatic spices will answer ·; thci1· sole vi1·tue being to give va1·iety ami pungency to t.be scent or j he bark stone. 'rhe male beavel' has six stones, two of whi<·h contain a substance much like finel1 pulverized ha.r·k, of a pale yellow eolom·, and in smell rcs. embling tanners oosc;, these are called bark stones or 171 castors. Two oth('t•s. which Iii"(' the hark stone rest-'mble small bladclers, coot ain pm·e stJ·ont; oil. of a sl l'On~ r·ank smell, and a•·e eall('t\ the oil stone, aml the oth<·1· two <H'C the testicles. The hat·k stones m·c two inches in length: tl1c others arc som.ewhat smallct·, of <m oval l'o1'm, and Ji(~ in a bunch together, between the skin and t.IH' I'()Ut Of the tail, with which they ar<' dos.rly eonned(•d, an<l S('<'m to communicate. Tbc female brings l'orth onee in a year only, and has som<'timcs two and sometimes four a.t a bil·th, which usually happens in the lattt•r end of i\Jay and tlw hrginning of June: at this time she is said to th·iv<' the male t"t·om th~ lodge, who would otherwise destroy the young. 'rlu.•y IH'Opagate like the fowl, by the gut, and the male has no othe1· sexual distinction that we c.ould discovca·. 11. The common of ter has ah·e:uly bern dcseril.wtl, anfl tl1is S{lecics docs not diffct' from tho9C inhahitiug the other parts of America. t2. The sc.a-ottcr rcsillcs only on tlw St'acoast. or in the neighboul'l10od of the salt water. 'Vhen fully gt·own. be ar·t ·ives to the size of' a. large ma!:lt iff tlog. The (~a .. ~ and ('yes, particularly the fo1·mcr, which cUT not an inch in l t·n~-;t h, arc thicl~, point<'d, ileshy. an<l <·overed \\ ith slw1•t. hair: the tail is ten inches long, thick at the JtOint or iu~el'tion anc! partially COV<'I'Cd '"ith a deep fnt· on tl1c upw~l' side: the legs arc vct·y short, and the fc.ct, whid1 l1avc Jivt.' tcw~ cacb, l.J'C broad, hu·ge, a.ml '"chhccl: the le~s a1·e covt'tTd wHh fur. ami tl1c ft-et with sh01·t hait·: the bod) of thi animal is long, and ol' the same thicJ. •. ue.ss tln·ougho11t: fJ'om th · cxtrelnity of the tail to 1 he nose they JH('asm·c live fret. The colour is a uni f'ot·m dad~ bt·owu, and, when in good ord<'J' and season, J>cl'l'cctly hla<•k. '"I'Jais animal is unrivalled fot• the beauty, richuess, and softnt·ss oflais fur. ilJc innct·Imrt of the fur. when opened, is lighter· thau the sut·facc in its uatua·al position: there m·c some IJlac]<. and shining hail·s int<•rmixed with the l'ur, which aa·e rather longer anti add mueh to its beauty: the fur about thr cars, no ·t• and eyes, in some of this species, pl'escnts a lightel' colour, sometimes a brown: |