A Description of Three Hundred Animals, 1768

The BEAVER builds an House as the Musk Rat, only much larger; and with Timber makes Dams over narrow Rivers, to catch Fish, by standing to watch them thereon, and jumping upon them on a sudden. It is a very subtle Creature; and there is an orderly Government among their Species. In their Works each knows his proper Business and Station; and the Overseers beat those young ones that loiter, and will make them work stoutly. It is about the Size of a Fox, or a Badger. His Head is short, its Ears are very small and round; its Teeth are long, the under Teeth standing out beyond its Lips three Fingers Breadth, and the upper about half a Finger’s, being very broad, crooked, sharp and strong. His fore Feet are like a Dog’s, his hinder like a Goose’s; but the Tail is most strange of all, being covered over with a Skin, like the Scales of a Fish, and is in Shape like a Soal, about six Fingers broad, and half a Foot long. It lives both in the Water, and on the Land.