THE YOUNG OF THE OTTER. 71 



tures, goes too far out, and that no cunning monster 

 of the vasty deep may approach to injure her progeny. 



As a general rule, the young of animals are pretty, 

 but it is quite the reverse with those of the otter, for 

 they are more ugly than their parents, and that is say- 

 ing a good deal. Their heads are misshapen, their ears 

 hang loose and uneven, their eyes are almost closed 

 up, their movements are ungainly and awkward, and 

 they are incessantly uttering a fretful and whining cry. 



The otter is not hunted by dogs in Norway, as it is 

 in England. It is taken in the following manner: The 

 otter's hole is first discovered, then a flat piece of wood 

 is placed in the earth or sand at the entrance of the 

 hole. In this flat piece of wood several iron spikes are 

 fixed, while a heavy log is kept upright, and over the 

 iron spikes, by means of a thin, broad piece of stick. 

 The luckless otter sets out on an excursion ; it is on 

 piscatorial intentions bent, and coming to the mouth of 

 its hole, it comes in contact with the trap, displaces 

 the stick that sustains the log, which falls, and the 

 poor little creature is transfixed on the iron spikes, 

 when it wriggles about for a moment, and dies. Some- 

 times the male otter is attracted from his den by imi- 

 tating the shrill cry of the female ; this is effected by 

 a peculiar kind of whistle. The otter has none of that 

 finer instinct which is observed in the beaver ; while, 

 on the other hand, the latter industrious little animal 

 always drives the otter away from its haunts, and it is 

 an understood thing that the beaver and otter are never 

 to be found near the same waters. It would appear 

 that these rival fishers always pertinaciously avoid the 

 localities frequented by each other, and only meet by- 

 accident. 



