The Canada Otter 823 



The young are born in mid-April, or sometimes as late young 

 as May i. They usually number i to 3, but a female taken at 

 Brokenhead and dissected by W. R. Hine contained 5 embry- 

 onic young. These were the size of a small Striped-gopher, 

 and must have been near full time, as it was late in April. At 

 birth and for some weeks afterwards their eyes are closed. 

 Their colour is said to be very dark brown, almost black. 

 Probably they are not weaned till four months old, and at nine 

 months they are fully adult. But one brood is reared each 

 year. 



Much discussion has taken place over the question whether train- 



, ... ^ -r II- ING OF 



or not animals tram their young. It seems as though in very the 

 ancient forms retaining primitive habits, the young need little ™™^ 

 or no instruction from parents. Thus, an incubator duck will 

 take to the water or snap at a fly when but a day old. On the 

 other hand, those animals with highly specialized habits are 

 slow to learn, and need some sort of stimulus. The young 

 hawk or Weasel speedily learns to seize a bird, but the young 

 osprey and Otter have departed further from the ancient way 

 and are more in need of teaching. Whether this be conscious 

 or unconscious on the part of the parents depends on our 

 definition of these terms. 



An interesting picture of their nursery life has been given 

 by J. G. Millais, who studied Otter in Canada and in England, 

 though, unfortunately, he omits the dates and places that would 

 have added so much to the value of his remarks. His account, 

 no doubt, refers chiefly to the British Otter, but it is almost 

 certain to be found applicable in the main to our own species, 

 when fuller observation shall have enlightened us on the early 

 history of the young. 



"As soon," he says," "as they can see, the mother Otter 

 takes her cubs to the water and teaches them to swim. At 

 first they are said to be very reluctant to enter the water, and 

 as a preliminary training, she often makes an exit hole upon the 

 bank above her holt, where she allows them to play and run 



" Mam. G. B. & I., 1905, II, pp. 19-20. 



