Class I. OTTER. 95. 



it may have a retreat, for no animal afFedls lying 

 drier, and there makes a minute orifice for the ad- 

 miflion of air : it is further obferved, that this ani- 

 mal, the more effe(5lually to conceal its retreat, con- 

 trives to make evTn this little air hole in the mid- 

 dle of fome thick bufh. 



The otter brings four or five young at a time: 

 as it frequents ponds near gentlemen's houfes, there 

 have been inftances of litters beins; found in eel- 

 lars, finks, and other drains. It is obfervable that 

 the male otters never make any noife when taken -, 

 but the pregnant females emit a molt fhrill fqueal. 



Sir Robert Sibbald^ in his hiftory of Fij% p. 49, Sea Otter, 

 mentions a.SeaOUer^ which he fays differs from the 

 common fort, in being larger, and having a rougher 

 coat j but probably it does not difi^er fpecifically 

 from the kmd that frequents frefh waters. Did not 

 Ariftotle place his Latax^ among the animals which 

 H 4 feek " 



* Toiaviu Se Ertv o te xa>,8fji,ivo; Karcop, uai to aak^iov fiai to 



ivu^pi^o;, Kai Q^ovlai; £;^ei <%yfS5 e^iaa-a ya^ vjfcrco^ 'TTo'KhaKi^y rag 

 TTE^L rov TTolafAOV KSOHi^a; SHi£fxv£i tol; oh^iov. d'aK-m ^£ ra; ccvS^aTrm; 



TO ^£ T^i%&)|Ua £%£i y] "Kotiu^ anXYj^ov, nai to ei'^c; uzTa^u tx Tn<; 

 (pcoKYjg T^ixco/juilogy uai ts T»f sXoCp'd. Ar'ijlot, Hiji. j^iiiin, p. 

 905. A 



Sunt ctiam in hoc genere (fc. animalium quadnipedum qiuc 

 njidum ex lacubus et Jlwviis petunt ) fiber ^ father w.m^ fatyTiuniy 

 lutris, lataxy qua latior lutre ejl, dentefqiie hahet rohufios, 



quippe 



