CHAPTER IV, 



HOW TO CATCH THE OTTER. 



The otter is a sliy animal, seldom seen by day, and yet 

 it is a hovering creature. He is an amphibious aaiimal, 

 and will sometimes go forty or fifty rods under water 

 without coming to the surface to breathe, w^hile he fre- 

 quently makes a land journey of two or three miles, to 

 pass from one stream to another. When there is snow on 

 the ground the otter travels mostly by sliding. He takes 

 two or three steps and then turns over on his back and 

 slides eight or ten feet, on the level, and much more on 

 descending ground. They propel themselves along with 

 their hind legs, which are quite long and partly wxb-foot- 

 ed. They are very fond of playing in the snow; they 

 will seek out a steep place, directly at the w^ater side, 

 crawl to the top of it, and then face about and go head 

 first down into the water; then up they climb and at it 

 again, having great sport. One of these slides is the best 

 place for catching the otter in a steel trap, which should 

 be set \vith a heavy stone, chain, and strip of bark, ex- I 

 actly as described for the beaver, in about four inches of 

 water near where they climb out to crawd up the slide. 



The otter is a great hand to catch fish, and seems to 

 have some means to attract them, and make them so tame 

 that he can pick them up as he pleases. It is supposed by 



some that he drops his musk or oil in the water, and calls 



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