THE CHINESE OTTER. Ill 



of the profoundest hate to the proprietors of streams aod to all human 

 fishermen. 



When the Otter is engaged in eating the fish it has captured, it holds 

 the slippery prey between its fore-paws, and, beginning with the back 

 of the neck, eats away the flesh from the neck toward the tail, reject- 

 ing the head, tail, and other portions. 



For the pursuit of its finny prey the Otter is admirably adapted by na- 

 ture. The body is lithe and serpentine ; the feet are furnished with a 

 broad web that connects the toes, and is of infinite service in propel- 

 ling the animal through the water; the tail is long, broad, and flat, 

 proving a powerful and effectual rudder, by which its movements are 

 directed ; and the short, powerful legs are so loosely jointed that the 

 animal can turn them in almost any direction. The teeth are sharp and 

 strong, and of great service in preventing the slippery prey from escaping. 



The color of the Otter varies slightly according to the light in which 

 it is viewed, but is generally of a rich brown tint, intermixed with 

 whitish gray. This color is lighter along the back and the outside of 

 the legs than on the other parts of the body, which are of a paler 

 grayish hue. Its habitation is made on the bank of the river which 

 it frequents, and is rather inartificial in its character, as the creature 

 is fonder of occupying some natural crevice or deserted excavation 

 than of digging a burrow for itself. The nest of the Otter is com- 

 posed of dry rushes, flags, or other aquatic plants, and is purposely 

 placed as near the water as possible, so that in case of a sudden alarm 

 the mother Otter may plunge into the stream together with her young 

 family, and find a refuge among the vegetation that skirts the river- 

 banks. The number of the young is from three to five, and they make 

 their appearance about March or April. 



The fur of the Otter is so warm and handsome that it is in some 

 request for commercial purposes. The entire length of the animal is 

 rather under three feet and a half, of which the tail occupies about 

 fourteen or fifteen inches. On the average it weighs about twenty- 

 three pounds, but there are examples which have far surpassed that 

 weight. Mr. Bell records an instance of a gigantic Otter that was 

 captured in the river Lea, between Hertford and Ware, and which 

 weighed forty pounds. 



Although so fierce and savage an animal when attacked, the Otter 

 is singularly susceptible of human influence, and can be taught to 

 catch fish for the service of its masters rather than for the gratification 

 of its own palate. The Chinese or Indian Otter afl^ords an excel- 

 lent instance of this capability ; for in every part of India the trained 

 Otters are almost as common as trained dogs in England. It seems 

 odd that the proprietors of streams should not press the Otter into 

 their service instead of destroying it, and manage to convert into a 



