1870. ] MR. R. SWINHOE ON CHINESE MAMMALS. 624 
meter *5; breadth of muzzle 2°2. Length of fore leg from shoulder 
to tip of claws 7°75; of hind leg from hip to tip of claws 9°5. Girth 
of neck 10°25, of body 13. 
Throat, under neck, and round upper jaw white, with light buff 
under-fur. Sides of head and neck between fore legs and on their 
underside whitish with brownish under-fur, Breast and_ belly 
brownish white, with deep buff-brown under-fur. Upper parts, tail, 
between hind legs, and anal region deep glossy brown. Fore feet 
with light yellowish buff on the three central toes ; nails flesh-colour. 
Nose black; irides dark; lips flesh-red, washed with black ; teeth 
white. Feet beneath brownish flesh-colour, with blackish-brown pads. 
In the Ichang Gorge, 1110 miles up the river Yangtsze, we came 
across a fisherman with a trained Otter. It was very tame and 
gentle, but he kept it chained in his boat. To make use of its ser- 
vices he would throw his large loose net, weighted at the edges, and 
let the Otter into the water fastened by a long string: the Otter 
would swim and dive round the outer edge of the net, driving the fish 
under the net, which gradually contracted its edges until it was 
drawn up. The fisherman would then call the Otter, giving him a 
jerk or two, and it quietly returned to its corner in the boat. ‘The 
Otter appears also to be used in India for a similar purpose (Jerdon, 
Mamm. of India, p. 87). 
35. Lurra swinnoe1. (Swinhoe’s Otter.) 
Lutra swinhoei, Gray, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 182. 
Dr. J. E. Gray has founded this species on the skull taken out of 
the skin of a young Otter from Amoy (not Formosa as stated), which 
I sent home, in company with a larger one from the same place. 
Dr. Gray observes (/. c) that the skull in question “ has a very large 
square tubercular grinder, and a very large rounded internal lobe to 
the flesh-tooth, as in the second section,”’ which he has called Luéro- 
gale. He adds that the species “is easily characterized by the 
small size of the upper cutting-teeth, the series forming only a width 
of 42 lines; while the series of most other Indian Otters occupy 
6 lines (or half an inch), or sometimes rather more.’ The specimen 
that was sent to Dr. Gray I had alive at Amoy on the 27th August, 
1859. It had been captured at Gawkang, an island close to Amoy. 
I judged it to be about four months old. It was very gentle, and 
followed me about like a dog ; it delighted in rolling about the floor 
seratching and biting itself, or would sleep rolled up on the door- 
mat. When left alone it would utter loud cries like that of a young 
chicken in distress, and when hungry a long series of sharp jarring 
notes. It measured 21 inches, less tail 8; length of head 4, breadth 
of head 2°5, across lips 1-7, height of head 2; breadth of eye ‘4, of 
nose 6. Fore leg 3°5, across expanded foot 1°3 ; hind leg 3, across 
hind foot 2. Upper parts rich dark brown ; under parts yellowish 
brown, nearly white on the tips, cheeks, throat, and fore neck. Ears 
small, and nearly concealed. Feet well palmated, with bare pinkish- 
brown soles and short white nails. Lower bristles over the lips 
white, the upper brown. 
