180 



THE OTTER. 



all sorts of fresh- water fish, such as trout, perch, eels, and 

 suckers ; and will also devour frogs. Occasionally they may 

 be observed on a rocky islet of some lone stream, resting after 

 a banquet, or about to plunge into the water in chase of one 

 of the finny tribe, which their keen eyes detect swimming by. 

 They* are trapped, in Canada, by steel traps, which are sul > 

 merged close to the bank below their "rubs." They make a 

 peculiar whistling sound, which the Indian can imitate per- 

 fectly, and thus frequently induces them to approach. Their 



OTTERS FISHING. 



skins are manufactured into muffs and trimmings and caps, 

 such as are usually worn in winter by Canadians. 



An otter, when attacked, will defend itself with desperation, 

 snapping furiously at the Indian, and then shaking its head 

 violently as a dog does when destroying a rat. Their bite is 

 severe — sufficient indeed to snap off* a man's finger — and when 

 once its jaws are closed, no power is capable of making it 



