318 NOKTH AMERICAN MUSTELID.E. 



tbat may glide beneath it, or pursues it under water, changing 

 its course as the lish darts in various directions to escape from 

 it, and when the prey is secured, brings it on shore to its retreat 

 to feed." 



Yielding a pelt of great beauty and value, from the exqui- 

 site softness and rich warm color of the fur, as well as from 

 the size of the animal, the American Otter is systematically 

 pursued by professional trappers. I have already given some 

 figures showing the thousands annually destroyed, and will 

 condense from ]\Ir. Gibson's work, already otten quoted, the ac- 

 count of the various methods employed — for every trapper has 

 his own notions and ways of doing things, and in the pursuit 

 of so valuable and so wary a creature as the Otter there is 

 room for large and varied experience. The animal seems to be 

 taken in this country usually, if not invariably, with the steel 

 trap, a special size and make of which, with two springs, goes 

 by the name of " Otter trap". Searching for a " slide ", or place 

 where the animal habitually crawls from the water up the 

 bank, the hunter sets the trap on the spot, a few inches under 

 water. No bait is here required ; and devices are used in se- 

 curing the trap b}' which the animal may be led into deep 

 water when caught, or lifted upward, the design in either case 

 being to prevent the animal's escape by gnawing off the im- 

 prisoned limb. The trap may also be placed at the top of the 

 slide, two or three feet back of the slope, in a place hollowed 

 to receive it, and covered with snow. Under such circum- 

 stances, care is taken not to handle the trap with the bare 

 hands. It is scented with various animal odors, and, to fur- 

 ther insure success, a " way " is made to the trap bj- means of 

 parallel logs. The trap is sometimes simply set in the beaten 

 track made in the snow, carefully hidden ; or at the entrance 

 of the burrow ; or at the base of a slanting log with one end 

 under water, the Otter being attracted by bait or odor placed 

 beyond on the other end; or a rock which projects over a 

 stream is utilized in the same way. In all these methods, the 

 utmost care is necessary to obliterate traces of the trappers 

 presence, as the sight and smell of the Otter are acute, and his 

 wariness, caution, and sagacity at a very high rate. " In win- 

 ter when the ponds and rivers are frozen over the otters make 

 holes through the ice at which they come up to devour their 

 prey. Where the water is a foot deep beneath anj^ of these 

 holes the trap may be set in. the bottom, the chain being se- 



