-papular 39ictt'anarp of ftnimatett Mature. 473 



in the middle of the day, one after the other, 

 to the same nest. I may add, also, that it is 

 believed in Africa, that two females lay in 

 one nest." 



At a meeting of the Zoological Society of 

 London (Feb. 23. 1847) the Earl of Derby 

 took an opportunity of noticing some of the 

 differences which appear to characterize the 

 Struthious tribe in their breeding, and which 

 he believed were not generally known. 

 Having shown that the Emu is strictly mo- 

 nogamous, he observed that the .Rhcas, on 

 the contrary, are clearly polygamous ; and 

 with them the male not only selects the 

 place for and forms the nest, but actually 

 collects together in it the eggs (which are 

 frequently laid at random about the enclo- 

 sure), and roll them along by inserting his 

 beak between the egg and the ground, as a 

 boy would roll a cricket-ball along by the 

 aid of a long stick with a hooked end to it. 

 He does this in order that he may incubate 

 them ; and it has been observed that he 

 shows no signs of anger when the females 

 approach the nest. 



OTID^E. The name given to a family of 

 birds (the Bustards). Those which are pe- 

 culiar to the Eastern Hemisphere and to Aus- 

 tralia, have the long neck and legs, stout 

 body, and strong limbs of the Ostrich. [For 

 the European species, see BUSTARD.] 



OTION. A genus of Pedunculated Cirri- 

 pedes, found on the Indian coast, commonly 

 attached to buildings covered by the sea. 

 The body is sub-quadrate, supported on & 

 fleshy pedicle with a gaping aperture and 

 two posterior auricular tubes ; five small 

 testaceous valves, adhering near the sides of 

 the aperture. 



OTOLITHTJS. A sub-genus of fishes be- 

 longing to the family Scicenidce, inhabiting 

 the Indian Ocean and Atlantic coasts of 

 America. The Otolithus regalis, or SQUE- 

 TAGUE, is commonly from a foot to fifteen 

 inches long, but it often grows much larger. 

 The head and back are brown, with fre- 

 quently a tinge of greenish ; faintly silvery 

 with dusky specks above the lateral line, 

 which gradually disappear on the sides ; and 

 the under part is wholly of a clear white. 

 The eyes are large and pale yellow. There 

 are two strong canine teeth in the upper 

 jaw, which is also armed with a single row 

 of very small pointed teeth ; and the under 

 jaw is furnished with a row of small 

 teeth which is doubled anteriorly. The two 

 dorsals are well separated, and the second, 

 as well as the caudal and anal, is in a great 

 part covered with small scales. Dr. Mitchell, 

 describing this species, observes that it is " a 

 fish of a goodly appearance, wholesome and 

 well-tasted* though rather soft. He is taken 

 both by the line and scan, and is brought 

 to the New York market in great numbers 

 during the summer months. He is called 

 weak-fish, as some say, because he does not 

 pull very hard after he is hooked ; or, as 

 others allege, because labouring men, who 

 are fed upon him, are weak by reason of the 

 deficient nourishment in that kind of food. 

 Certain peculiar noises under water, of a 



low rumbling or drumming kind, are ascribed 

 by the fishermen to the Squetague. Whether 

 the sound came from these fishes or not, it 

 is certain, that during their season, only, 

 they may be heard from the bottom of the 

 water, in places frequented by the weak- 

 fish, and not elsewhere. The swimming- 

 bladder is convertible into good glue. I 

 have eaten as fine blanc-mange made from 

 it as from the isinglass of the sturgeon." 



OTTER. (Lutra vulgaris.) This aquatic 

 quadruped is about two feet long from the 

 nose to the insertion of the tail, which is 

 fifteen inches more ; its body is elongated 

 and much flattened ; the tail is flat and 

 broad ; the legs are short and strong, but so 

 loosely articulated as to turn in every direc- 

 tion while swimming ; the feet broad, and 

 the toes connected by a complete web : its 

 structure is consequently well adapted for 

 an aquatic life : and it feeds almost entirely 

 on fish. It swims and dives with great 

 readiness, and with peculiar ease and ele- 

 gance of movement. Its teeth are sharp and 

 strong, and the tubercles of the molars very 

 pointed, a modification necessary to secure 

 the prehension and speedy destruction of 

 their agile and slippery prey. It has a 

 black nose and long whiskers ; the eyes are 



SKtILT. OF OTTER. 



very small, and placed nearer the nose than 

 in most other animals ; the upper jaw is 

 longer and broader than the lower ; the ears 

 small and erect ; and the skin is protected 

 by a compact fur, which consists of two 

 kinds of hair, the longer and stiffer shining 

 hairs, which are grayish at the base and 

 a rich brown at the point, concealing an 

 extremely fine and soft fur of a light gray 

 colour, brown at the tip : the under parts of 

 the body, inner parts of the limbs, and the 

 cheeks, are of a brownish-gray throughout. 



The Otter can be domesticated, though, 

 from its ferocious disposition, this is a task of 

 much difficulty. In order to do it effectually, 

 so that the animal might be trained to catch 

 fish or assist in fishing, it is recommended 

 that they should be procured as young as 

 possible, and be first fed with small fish and 

 water. Then bread and milk is to be alter- 

 nated with the fish, and the proportion of the 

 former gradually increased till they are led 

 to live entirely on bread and milk. They 

 are then taught to fetch and carry, as dogs 

 are trained, and when they are brought to 

 do this well, a leather fish stuffed with wool 

 is employed as the thing to be fetched : they 

 are afterwards exercised with a dead fish, 

 and chastised if they attempt to tear it. 

 Finally they are sent into the water after 



