96 OTTER. Class I. 



feek their food among frefh waters, we fhould 

 imagine we had here recovered this loft animal, 

 which he mentions immediately after the otter, and 

 defcrlbes as being broader. Though this muft re- 

 main a doubt, we may with greater confidence fup- 

 pofe the fea otter to be the Loup marin of Belon *, 

 which from a hearfay account, he fays, is found 

 on the EngUfij coafts. He compares its form to 

 that of a wolf, and fays, it feeds rather on fifh than 

 fheep. That circumftance alone makes it probable, 

 Sihbald's animal was intended, it being well known, 

 the otter declines flefh when it can get fifh. Little 

 ilrcfs ought to be laid on the name, or comparifon 

 of it to a wolf J this variety being of a fize fo fu- 

 perior to the common, and its hair fo much more 

 Ihaggy, a common obferver might readily catch the 

 idea of the more terrible beaft, and adapt his com- 

 parifon to it. 

 Beaver. Beavers, which are alfo amphibious animals, were 

 formerly found in Great Britain ; but the breed has 

 been extirpated many ages ago: the lateft accounts 

 v/e have of them, is in Giraldus CambrenJjs-\^ who 

 travelled through JVales in ii 88: he gives a brief 

 hifcory of their manners i and adds, that in his time 



quippe quce 7iodu phrumque aggrediens, fvirgulta proxima fuis 

 dentibus^ ut ferro pracida^. tutris etiam hominern niordet^ 

 7iec dejiftit (td ferunt) niji fraSli ojjts crept turn fen/crit, Lataci 

 pilus diirusy fpecie inter pilum 'vifuli 7narini et cer-vi. 



* Belon de la Nature des Poi/ons, p. 28. pi. 2Q. 



■y Girald. Ca?nh. Lin. 178, 179 = 



they 



