THE OTTER. 47 



when I happened to wander to a wild spot some four 

 miles away, on the muddy, sloping banks of a tideless 

 stream. Here I took my stand, and in the dense shadow of 

 the overhanging trees began my observations on the owls 

 and jays that were, as I thought, my only companions. 

 Soon, however, I found out my mistake, as a loud splash 

 notified me of the presence of other company. It was an 

 otter, and, as my approach had not been seen and I stood 

 motionless for some minutes after hearing the splash, I 

 was duly rewarded for my prudence and patience by see- 

 ing the animal slowly emerge from the glassy surface 

 of the pond, holding a large fish in his mouth. With 

 awkward steps he crawled up the opposite bank, and in 

 a marvelously short time he devoured the fish, or most 

 of it. Then walking to a point beyond, but in full view, 

 he squatted down until his belly rested on the muddy 

 slope, and, holding his head well up, with an expression 

 of extreme satisfaction, he slowly slid down the smooth 

 bank and disappeared beneath the surface of the water. 



I waited a full hour, but he did not reappear. Since 

 then I have but seldom seen living otters. Once I over- 

 took a large one, that at first " showed fight." It was 

 in a small but dense huckleberry-swamp without water 

 enough for a comfortable bath. To find these animals 

 thus, away from deep ponds and running streams, is a 

 rare occurrence. Their main food-supply is fish, and 

 what substitute they find in swamps I can not say, un- 

 less it be the innumerable frogs that abound in such lo- 

 calities. 



I have never been able to determine positively what 

 sounds and cries, if any, are made by this animal. Al- 

 though my opportunities for studying their habits have 

 been very few, I have always had this matter in mind 

 whenever I have chanced to catch a glimpse 6*f> them. 



