THE TRAPPER. 



The American otter (Lutra Canadensis) is able to hold its 

 own against the trapper, as well as, perhaps better than any 

 other fur-bearing animal. It never takes bait, disdaining 

 dead food, and seems to take salmon in preference to trout, 

 and trout in preference to the coarser lake and river fish. 

 It is very shy, possessed of great strength, and travels long 

 distances in the night-time in search of new fishing grounds. 

 In travelling through the forest one frequently comes 

 across otter paths or " portage roads " leading from one 

 lake or one river to another. In the dead of winter they 

 frequent " air-holes " in the lakes, i. e. small spots which 

 owing to springs or some other cause do not freeze over ; 

 also rapid torrents and those open places below waterfalls 

 where ice cannot make and where fish also do congregate. 

 Their tracks when followed in the snow always lead to such 

 places. The fur of the otter is very dark, rich, and glossy, 

 nearly black on the back, and brown or brownish grey on 

 the belly. Out of a great number of skins that I have seen 

 I found white marks only on two. One of these had three 

 white spots, the other a white stripe on throat and breast. 

 The skin measures about 4 feet in length, the tail being as 

 long as the body without the head. I saw one enormous 

 old dog otter that measured 5 feet from tip of snout to tip 

 of tail. The fur is in season from October to May, and the 

 .skin is worth from 1?. to 11. 5s. to the trapper. The 

 females have two or three pups about the 1st of May, 

 beautiful glossy little creatures, and as playful as kittens. 

 The otter is a very powerful animal for its size, and a 

 savage fighter ; I have seen few dogs that could master the 

 Canadian otter, and it has been known to beat the beaver 

 notwithstanding the formidable cutting teeth of the latter. 



