Class I. OTTER. 



clofe together: the nofe and the corners of the 

 mouth are furnifhed with very long whin<:ers ; fo 

 that the whole appearance of the otter is fome- 

 thing terrible : it has thirty- fix teeth, fix cuttino- 

 and two canine above and below ; of the former 

 the middiemoil are the left: it has befides five 

 grinders on each fide in both jaws* The less are 

 very fiiort, but remarkably ftrong, broad, and muf- 

 cular; the joints articulated fo loofely, that the ani- 

 mal is capable of turning them quite back, and 

 bringing them on a line with the body, fo as to 

 perform the office of fins. Each foot is furnillied 

 with ^w^ toes, connedled by ftrong broad webs, like 

 thofe of water fowl. Thus nature in every article 

 has had attention to the way of life fiie had allotted 

 to an animal, whofe food is fifti ; and whofe haunts 

 muft necefiarily be about waters. 



The color of the otter is entirely a deep brown, 

 except two fmall fpots of white on each fide the 

 nofe, and another under the chin. The fkin of this p ^ 

 animal is very valuable, if killed in the winter; 

 and is greatly ufed in cold countries for lining 

 . cloaths : but in England it is only ufed for covers 

 for piftol furniture. The beft furs of this kind 

 come from the northern part of Europe^ and Ame- 

 rica. Thofe of N. America are larger than the 

 European otters. The Indians make ufe of their 

 fkins for pouches, and ornament them with bits of 

 horn. The fineft fort come from the colder parts 

 of that continent : where they are alfo moft nume- 

 H 3 rous. 



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