RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



American Otter— Lutra canadensis. 



The occurrence of this auiinul in Rliode 

 Island is mncli more frequent tlian is com- 

 monl}' supposed, since tlie creature is gen- 

 erally sh}' and wary in his habits, and bet- 

 ter paying business has served to discour- 

 age hunting and trapping. 



Out-of-doors students or collectors of any 

 zoological objects, have frequentl}' to notice 

 the wonderful adaptability of plumage, pel- 

 age, general form, and habit of movement, 

 to the concealment of the creatures sought 

 for, deceiving the most practiced eye, and 

 altogether likely to hide them from any but 

 the careful observer. 



We have known of two of the Ijutra can- 

 adensis being taken the past few months, 

 one at Portsmouth, the other at Pawtuxet, 

 while in the month of March, 1883, a mag- 

 nificent specimen was killed near Bristol. 

 Tracing back for a few years, we are able 

 to get reports of several more. 



All the specimens examined were taken I 

 in early spring, and a general description | 

 answers for both sexes. A long and rather 

 heavy body, mounted upon legs very short i 

 in proportion, the hind pair the stouter, and 

 the feet, when spread out, broad and round, 

 the toes connected b}' a membrane, the cal- 

 lous spots on the soles divided b}^ bands of 

 fur. The neck is rather long, ears very 

 small, the face broad and rather flat, with 

 small eyes, and as a particular mark, the 

 nose-pad, which has been described by Dr. 

 Cones as shaped like the ace of spades. 



These specimens weighed about eighteen 

 or twenty pounds each, and measured from 

 tip to tip from forty-six to forty-eight inches, 

 the tail, which is flat and tapers to a point, ^ 

 being about seventeen or eighteen inches 

 long, and were of a rich brown color above, 

 almost black in some lights, a trifle lighter | 

 below and on the inside of the legs, while | 

 the lips, cheeks, chin, throat, and breast I 

 were a dirty whitish brown. 



These specimens exhibited great strength ; 

 and most vicious disposition. The one I 

 killed at Bristol was taking a morning stroll | 

 across lots, when he was confronted by the ' 

 farmer's dog. This resulted in a furious 

 unpleasantness, and the dog would speedily 

 have had the worst of it had not the master 

 appeared, and with a club decided the bat- 

 tle. Nevertheless they are said to have 

 been very thoroughly tamed, and to exhibit 

 considerable playfulness. 



They are said to be very fond of sliding, 

 choosing a steep clay bank that slopes into 

 a stream, but probably from lack of proper 

 situation, and because the thickly settled 

 condition of the country obliges them to be 

 more cautious, we get no reports of any 

 slides in Rhode Island. Audubon says: 

 "The otters ascend the bank at a place 

 suitable for their diversion, and sometimes 

 where it is very steep, so that they are 

 obliged to make quite an effort to gain the 

 top ; they slide down in rapid succession 

 where there are many at a sliding-place. 

 On one occasion we were resting on the 

 banks of Canoe Creek, a small stream near 

 Henderson that empties into the Ohio, when 

 a pair of otters made their appearance, and 

 began to enjoy their sliding pastime. 



" The}' glided down the soap-like, muddy 

 surface of the slide, with the rapidity of an 

 arrow from a bow. We counted each one 

 making twenty-two slides before we dis- 

 turbed their sportive occupation." 



During the winter they pursue their pas- 

 time on the snow. Godman says : " Their 

 favorite sport is sliding, and for this pur- 

 pose, in winter the highest ridge of snow is 

 selected, to the top of which the otters 

 scramble, where, lying on the belly with the 

 fore-feet bent backwards, they give them- 

 selves an impulse with their hind-legs, and 

 swiftly glide head-foremost down the de- 

 clivit}^ sometimes for the distance of twenty 

 yards. This sport they continue, appar- 

 ently with the keenest enjo3'ment, until 

 fatigue or hunger induces them to desist." 



Squirrel Incidents. — Mr. Wm. Temple 

 reports that while out shooting last fall, he 

 had paused to listen, when out of a hole 

 near the butt of a tree, came a red squirrel. 

 It made directly toward him, and, probably 

 taking him for a stump, ran up his left 

 trousers-leg and coat, then across his 

 shoulders and down the other side to the 

 ground. It was deliberate in its movements 

 and made frequent stops, as is its custom 

 when not alarmed. 



Mr. G. M. Gray was out during the lat- 

 ter part of April with a dark-lantern, catch- 

 ing moths, when he received a violent blow 

 in the face, the missile falling to the ground, 

 but immediatel}' began ascending his pants, 

 for it was a flying-squirrel. It soon dis- 

 covered its mistake and sprang on to a tree 

 near by. 



