HABITS OF OTTERS. 317 



stood ou the side of the pond opposite to us, and with its over- 

 hanging branches shaded the water. After a fatiguing walk 

 through the tangled cane-brake and thick under- wood which 

 bordered the sides of this lonely place, we reached the opposite 

 side of the pond near the large tree, and moved cautiously 

 through the mud and water to its roots: but the hearing or 

 sight of the Otters was attracted to us, and we saw several of 

 them hastily make off at our approach. On sounding the tree 

 with the butt of our gun, we discovered that it was hollow, and 

 then having placed a large stick in a slanting position against 

 the trunk, we succeeded in reaching the lowest bough, and 

 thence climbed up to a broken branch from which an aperture 

 into the upper part of the hollow enabled us to examine the 

 interior. At the bottom there ^as quite a large space or cham- 

 ber to which the Otters retired, but whether for security or to 

 sleep we could not decide. Next morning we returned to the 

 spot, accompanied by one of our neighbours, and having ap- 

 proached and stopped up the entrance under water as noise- 

 lessly as possible, we cut a hole in the side of the tree four or 

 five feet from the ground, and as soon as it was large enough 

 to admit our heads, we peeped in and discovered three Otters 

 on a sort of bed composed of the inner bark of trees and other 

 soft substances, such as water grasses. We continued cutting 

 the hole we had made, larger, and when sufficiently widened, 

 took some green saplings, split them at the but-end, and man- 

 aged to fix the head of each animal firmly to the ground by 

 passing one of these split pieces over his neck, and then press- 

 ing the stick forcibly downwards. Our companion then crept 

 into the hollow, and soon killed the otters, with which we 

 returned home." 



Their structure being identical, the American and European 

 Otters cannot differ in their general movements and attitudes. 

 In speaking of the conformation of the latter species, Bell 

 remarks that evidently every facility consistent with the preser- 

 vation of its structural relations with the rest of the group is 

 given to the Otter for tbe pursuit and capture of its proper 

 food. '• It swims and dives with great readiness and with pecu- 

 liar ease and elegance of movement ; and although its action 

 on land is far from being awkward and difficult, yet it is cer- 

 tainly' in the water that the beautiful adaptation of its structure 

 to its habits is most strikingly exhibited. It swims in nearly 

 a horizontal position, and dives instantaneously after the fish 



