70 THE NATURALIST IN NORWAY. 



so jointed as to be extremely flexible. The legs are 

 short and strong ; the feet are broad and webbed, so 

 that it can swim and dive ; the eyes are small and 

 piercing, and are placed near the nose ; the ears are 

 short and upright ; the teeth are long and sharp. Its 

 colour is peculiar. It has two kinds of fur, an inner 

 and shorter, as well as an outer and longer; the shorter 

 hairs are pale gray, tipped with brown ; the longer 

 ones are darker gray, also brown at the ends ; the 

 under parts of the body are brownish-gray ; the nose 

 and whiskers are black. 



In Norway the otter skins are generally purchased 

 by the Russians. 



The otter which frequents large rivers and lakes 

 abides in holes, and under the roots of trees near the 

 water. Here the female makes a nest of dry grass and 

 rushes, and having gone nine weeks with young, she 

 produces, in the spring time of the year, an interesting 

 little family of three or five. Now we see why the nest 

 was placed near the water ; for, soon after the young 

 are born into the world, the mother teaches them to 

 take to their natural element, as well as to swim and 

 dive, so that they may be out of harm's way, should 

 danger approach on land, so kind is nature in teach- 

 ing the meanest creatures how to act through their 

 instinct. The otter which frequents the sea-coast con- 

 ceals itself in rocky caves, or in cavities under large 

 boulders among the shingle on the beach. Soon after 

 the young are born, they are conducted to the salt 

 water, and are taught by their parent how to swim and 

 dive ; and they even venture out to a considerable dis- 

 tance from the land, while the mother paddles round 

 them, to see that no youngster, in search of adven- 



