Observations on the building activity of European beavers, Castor fi ber Linnaeus, 1758, were carried out in two dissimilar lakelands in Poland to which beavers were being reintroduced from 1974 to 1985. Reintroduced beavers occupied 62 sites, and lodges were built in 76% of the sites. Several sites contained two or more lodges. Most lodges had a circular or oval base (83%) and a conical side view (85%). The size of lodges differed significantly {p = 0.051) between the two lakelands, with larger lodges at sites characterized by water scarcity. Beavers built lodges immediately after their settlement in 50% of sites, while in the other sites lodges appeared 1-8 years later. Lodge construction is frequently related with the first appearance of kits. In the study area beavers built 27 dams in 17 sites, apparently to improve water conditions and to get safe access to new stores of winter food. Dams usually wore built without acoustic stimuli. Behaviour of reintroduced beavers suggest threat as their main motivation for any building activity.
The analysis of 110 American mink Mustela vison Schreber, 1777 faeces, collected in May and June during 1987 - 90, from beaver lodges in the Mazurian and Brodnica Lakelands (northern Poland), showed great diversity in the food eaten. Mammals dominated in the diet (61.8% of occurrence). Among them, Arvicola terrestris and Microtus sp. (mainly M. oeconomus) were most numerous. No beaver kit remains were recorded. Birds, amphibians, fish and crayfish were also important components of the mink diet. Each of these groups were found in about 25% of scats. The mink was found to be a typical generalistic predator. The diversity of the mink diet, most probably, was made possible by the abundant and diverse food resources in late spring.