2S0 The Canadian Otter. 



Our friend A. Dickson, Esq., who has studied their habits and kept 

 them in confinement in Canada, has furnished us with the following 

 accounts : — 



" The Otter lives principally on fish, but will eat any kind of flesh 

 readily. It is surprising to see the quantity of fish it will consume during 

 the twenty-four hours ; night and day it is on the move, either in search of 

 food or play. 



♦' The habits of the Otter differ much from those of the Beaver, who has 

 a local habitation. The Otter, on the contrary, is always on the march from 

 one lake or pond to another, yet it regularly visits particular places in its 

 rounds, where it has what is called a slide, on the bank of a lake or river, 

 where it rolls or draws itself along with its belly on the ground. Near these 

 places it has its hole in the bank. It may appear strange, yet I have known 

 an Otter bring forth her young in the hollow of a fallen tree a mile from 

 any water. 



" The Otter is hunted for the value of its skin, its flesh being very rank 

 and unpalatable : yet Indians and hunters are often glad to partake of it 

 when other food is scarce. 



" The Otter is generally killed by trapping, sometimes in the water, 

 other times on land, on their slides, covering the trap with leaves, and 

 when caught by the fore foot, does not leave his foot in the trap and 

 escape like the Beaver and Musk-rat. It is often shot by the hunter in his 

 wanderings, and occasionally it is killed when travelling through the wood 

 if the hunter meets it, especially if he has a good dog. If the Otter make 

 his escape to a pond or lake when pursued, ten chances to one he will 

 immediately leave it on the opposite side and make his way to some other 

 lake. If the dog has been in the habit of hunting the Otter, he will follow 

 round the lake until he gets on the trail. I have known an Otter to pass 

 five small lakes and then take refuge in a hollow tree, where he was killed. 

 It requires a very good dog to master an Otter, as they have sharper teeth 

 than any quadruped in Canada, and their thick loose skin protects them. 



" The Otter is a playful and afiectionate pet when taken young. I had 

 one as much domesticated as a dog, — it would follow me all over the farm or 

 village, but he preferred a stroll along the bank of the river, or an excursion 

 in a canoe ; occasionally he would catch a fish, but the number of bullfrogs 

 he would kill was astonishing. I never saw him eat any, but he appeared to 

 be pleased with the sport of catching them and letting them go the moment 

 he got his eye on a fresh one. In one of those excursions he appeared to be 

 in trouble, and made a great noise ; I went back to see what was the matter 

 and found he had got an over-grown mud-turtle among the weeds on the 

 shore, he appeared pleased when I went to his assistance, as he could do 

 nothing with his game. I do not think an Otter is able to kill a large turtle ; 

 yet, I found he relished eating it after it was cut up with the axe. 



" When I took the fishing rod into my hand, he went into extacies. I 



