145 



INDIAN OE CALCUTTA OTTER. 



Lutra h'ptonyx. 



French : Loutre cles Incles. German : Ostindischer 



Otter. 



This is the smallest of all the Otters, with the excep- 

 tion, perhaps, of the South American. Its length is 

 scarcely more than a foot, sometimes even less. The 

 colour is light brown ; the fur short, and inferior in 

 quality ; the neck is lighter in colour, almost white ; the 

 belly is white. 



The value of a skin is about Is. 



A similar variety is found in Cashmere, but it is 

 rather larger and has thicker fur. 



This species is sometimes called the Small-clawed 

 Otter. 



Another variety comes from Persia ; the fur is light, 

 coarse, and abundant. 



WEST AFEICAN OTTER. 



The West African Otter is large — about 4 feet long. 

 The fur, or rather hair, is hardly more than one-eighth 

 of an inch in length, and is consequently almost value- 

 less. 



The cheeks are white, and the rest of the body brown. 



This Otter is very rare. 



