The Canada Otter 835 



which they play and roll. May's Lake, a small and secluded 

 body of water abounding in trout, is fairly surrounded by 

 them." 



These I have never seen, nor do I find them commented 

 on by other naturalists. 



The species is no exception to the rule that no animal can climb- 

 reach the highest development in more than one sphere. It 

 is a king in aquatics, but on land is the least active of the Family 

 except the Sea-otter, and I read with surprise J. G. Millais's 

 statement that the Canada Otter commonly climbs trees." 



This animal is pre-eminently a fish eater, yet at times food 

 varies its diet in many ways, feeding on frogs, crayfish, and 

 shell-fish. "Crayfish, indeed," says Kennicott," "sometimes 

 form a considerable portion of its food, being taken in the water 

 like fish. I have observed this to be the case when examining 

 its excrement in Minnesota. * * * I have reason to suppose 

 that it sometimes devours the Muskrats, in the house of which 

 it is occasionally found in the Western prairie lakes and 

 marshes. It would probably eat any flesh when impelled by 

 hunger, but it has never been known to devour vegetables of 

 any kind when in a state of nature." 



Merriam corroborates the crayfish item, stating that:"' 

 "The numbers of crayfish {Camharus) that the Otter destroys 

 in the course of a summer is almost incredible. The Otter 

 'sign' that one finds so abundantly about our lakes and 

 streams, on rocks and logs, often consist wholly of fragments of 

 the chitinous exoskeleton of the Crustacean. At other times 

 fish-bones are mingled with the broken crayfish shells. * * * 

 When unable to procure these in sufficient quantity, it devours 

 frogs, and is said to depopulate the poultry yard, and even 

 prey upon lambs. * * * In confinement it will eat meat and 

 is said to prefer it boiled." Richardson states*^ that: "In the 

 spring of 1826, at Great Bear Lake, the Otters frequently 



" Mam. G. B. & I., Vol. II, 1905, p. 18. " Quad. 111., 1859, p. 247. 



" Mam. Adir., 1884, p. 88. " F. B. A., 1829, p. 58. 



