LuTRIDA. ee 
All the Otters, though active on land, are still only thoroughly at home 
in the water, and they are therefore specially constituted for such a mode 
of life. ‘They have an elongated flattened form ; webbed feet with short 
claws ; compressed and tapering tail ; dense fur of two kinds, one of long 
brown shining hairs ; the under fur short and fine, impervious to wet, 
and well adapted for keeping an equality of temperature ; the skull is 
peculiar, the brain case being very long, and compressed from above 
downwards; the facial portion forms only about one-fourth of the 
Otter’s skull (side and under view). 
extreme length; the teeth are strong and sharp; the upper flesh tooth 
very large. 
Dental formula : Inc., 33; can., a ; pre-molars, 4—*; molars, ——* 
- Jerdon states that the otter has a nictitating membrane or additional 
semi-transparent eyelid, similar to that in the eyes of birds, which he 
supposes is a defence to them under water; but I have not noticed this 
myself, and have failed to discover it in the writings of others. I should 
think that the vision of the animal under water would not require 
