NATURAL HISTORY OF THE OTTER 



for experimental purposes. Which reminds us of 



the yarn concerning the old trapper, who when 



asked if he had ever eaten turkey-buzzard, replied 



" Yes, siree, I have eaten turkey-buzzard, but 



I don't hanker after it." On one occasion we 



became possessed of a dead otter, whose carcass, 



after skinning, we presented to two dogs. The 



latter promptly turned up their noses at it, whereas 



several cats to which it was afterwards given set 



about devouring it quite keenly. In the case of 



hounds, unless the carcass of their quarry is still 



warm and they are excited by the free use of horn 



and voice, they will show no great desire to do 



more than tear the body of an otter. 



The otter's hide — covering a sinuous body, with 



loosely articulated limbs — is tough, and offers more 



resistance to hounds' teeth than the skin of a fox, 



which soon disintegrates when worried by the 



pack. As far as hounds are concerned, the scent 



of an otter must at times be to them exceedingly 



strong, yet to the human nose — even if the latter 



is held close to the animal's body — there is only a 



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