ANIMALS. 377 



more power upon it than the fishes it pursues, if it hunts against 

 the stream, it swims too slow ; and if with the stream, it over- 

 shoots its prey. However, when in rivers, it is always observec/ 

 to swim against the stream, and to meet the fishes it preys upon, 

 rather than to pursue them. In lakes it destroys much more 

 than it devours, and is often seen to spoil a pond in the space of 

 'a few nights. But the damage they do by destroying fish is not 

 so great as their tearing in pieces the nets of the fishers, vi'hich 

 they infallibly do whenever they happen to be entangled. The- 

 instant they find themselves caught, they go to work with their 

 teeth, and in a few minutes destroy nets of a very considerable 

 value. 



The otter has two different methods of fi.shing ; the one by 

 catching its prey from the bottom upward, the other by pursuing 

 it into some little creek, and seizing it there. In the former 

 case, as this animal has longer lungs than most other quadru- 

 peds, upon taking in a quantity of air, it can remain for some 

 minutes at the bottom ; and whatever fish passes over at that 

 time is certainly taken ; for as the eyes of fish are placed so as not 

 to see under them, the otter attacks them off their guard from 

 below J and, seizing them at once by the belly, drags them on 

 shore, where it often leaves them untouched, to continue the 

 pursuit for hours together. The other method is chiefly prac 

 tised in lakes and ponds, where there is no current : the fish thus 

 taken are rather of the smaller kind, for the great ones will never 

 be driven out of deep water. 



In this manner the otter usually lives during the summer be- 

 ing furnished with a supply much greater than its consumption ; 

 killing for its amusement, and infecting the edges of the lake 

 with quantities of the dead fish, which it leaves there as trophies 

 rather of its victory than its necessities. But in winter, when 

 the lakes are frozen over, and the rivers pour with a rapid tor- 

 rent, the otter is often greatly distressed for provisions ; and is 

 then obliged to live upon grass, weeds, and even the bark ot 

 trees. It then comes upon land, and, grown courageous from 

 necessity, feeds upon terrestrial animals, rats, insects, and even 

 sheep themselves. Nature, however, has given it the power of 

 continuing a long time without food ; and although, duiing tha( 

 season, it is not rendered quite torpid, like the marmout or tlie 

 dormouse, yet it keeps much more within its retreat, wliieh ij 



2 I ,J 



