NATURAL HISTORY. 



THE OTTER. 



THE otter is a voracious animal, which, more fond 

 of fish than of flesh, is seldom found but at the sides 

 of lakes and rivers. It swims with more facility than 

 even the beaver. All the feet of the otter have mem- 

 branes ; and it can hardly walk faster than it swims. 



Accurately considered, the otter cannot be pro- 

 nounced an amphibious animal. We even find them 

 drowned when they happen to be entangled in a net ; 

 and this evidently for want of having had time to de- 

 stroy it, and thereby effect their escape. For want of 

 fish, frogs, water-rats, or other nourishment, it will 

 eat the young branches, and the bark of aquatic trees; 

 and in spring it will eat new grass. Of cold it is as 

 little afraid as of moisture. It brings forth in the 

 month of March : three or four is the number gene- 

 rally produced at a birth. 



The otter becomes industrious with age, and wages 

 a successful war against the tribes of fishes, which, 

 with respect to instinct and sentiment, are greatly in- 



