AMERICAN OTTER. 147 



In the York Fort district the colour varies from light 

 to dark brown. It is large, with thick fur, dark whiskers, 

 and the tail about 18 inches long. 



In the East Maine district the colour of the Otter is 

 very dark in fact, almost black. Some of the skins 

 here are painted vermilion by the natives. 



The skins from Canada, Nova Scotia, and Labrador 

 are dark brown, very thickly furred and well flayed, and 

 have clean pelts. 



Halifax skins are dark, but rather coarse, and similar 

 to the Norwegian. 



In Columbia the Otter is very large. The skin is 

 about 4 feet without the tail, which is 2 feet long. 



Many Otters are found in the United States. In 

 California and the Western States they are large. 



In the Southern States, such as Louisiana and Ten- 

 nessee, the skins are thick-pelted and of low standard, 

 but the fur is dark. 



In Georgia the skins are small and dark brown. 

 A silvery animal is very rare, as well as mottled, 

 grizzly, and slate-coloured. White Otters are more 

 often met with. 



The feet of the Otter are small, and both hind and 

 fore feet are slightly webbed, and furnished with five 

 short claws. The legs are short. It has four teats. 



According to Dr. Richardson, the American Otter pro- 

 duces one to three young about the middle of April. It 

 swims and dives with great facility, and it feeds on fish. 

 Dr. Merriam asserts that Otters in winter are fond of 

 sliding down-hill in the snow head foremost, repeating 

 the operation several times ; and that they also slide on 

 the ice. Dr. Eichardson says they dive through the ice 

 with great rapidity. 



This fur is used both natural and dyed and pulled 



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