BKITISH MAMMALS 



89 



hole, instead of digging one for himself. It would be interesting to 

 find, by comparing the two, whether fox cubs are born with larger fore- 

 arms in proportion 

 than the young of 

 dogs, which do not 

 burrow.* 



The otter is 

 another carnivore 

 which is more 

 allied to the bad- 

 gers and weasels 

 than to the cats 

 and dogs, and 

 shows many curi- 

 ous points of struc- 

 ture. The small 

 eyes, narrow gullet, 

 long -pointed tail 

 are not generally 

 found in aquatic 

 carnivores. The 

 seal, for example, 

 has large eyes to see its prey readily in the water, a short capacious 

 gullet to swallow its prey easily, and no tail. The impression 

 conveyed by the otter is that it is a large weasel that has taken 

 to the water, and has become an adept in aquatic life without much 



* It is believed in some parts of the country that at times a vixen will cross 

 with a dog, the resulting progeny being what is called a "cock-tailed" fox. Is this 

 true ? 



From a photograph l>y Charles Reid. 



FIGURE 98. A Squirrel. 



