mi^ 



MAMMALIA— OTTER. 129 



shining browTi as its back. It is a much larger animal, and has, in propor- 

 tion, a shorter tail than the European one. In the winter season it fre- 

 quents rapids and falls, to have the advantage of open Avater, and when its 

 usual haunts are frozen over, it will travel to a great distance, through the 

 snow, in search of a rapid which has resisted the severity of the weather. 

 If it is seen, it throws itself on its belly, and slides through the snow for 

 several yards, leaving a deep furrow behind it. This movement is made 

 with great rapidity. When closely pressed, it will turn and defend itself 

 with great obstinacy. It inhabits the Mackenzie and other rivers nearly to 

 the Arctic Sea, and the western parts of the United States. 



THE SOUTH AMERICAN OTTER. i 



The color of the South American otter is different from that of the 

 European : the latter is much darker ; and the male is still darker than the 

 female, who generally gets brown while suckling her puppies ; Abb6 Ricardo 

 says that they change coats. The skin is now more valuable than formerly, 

 and is used for pistol covers, and foraging regimental caps are made of 

 them. The skins of otters are also used for segar cases, and the Indians 

 eat their flesh. In destroying fish, the otter rejects the head, and will not 

 use it, although pressed by hunger. In Buenos Ayres there is one quite 

 domesticated, which will invariably bring home what it gets in the river : 

 but tame habits make it lazy and indolent ; it is vicious during the breeding 

 season, and is obliged to be chained. 



The sport of otter hunting in South America is thus described by a recent 

 traveller: — In the month of May, the parties assemble by previous arrange- 

 ment, composed principally of the chief inhabitants and their relatives or 

 clans, and visiters, male slaves, muleteers, &c. Having ascended the 

 waterfalls, they encamp near those clear and transparent rivers in which 

 otters abound. After the business of physicing the bloodhounds and a spe- 

 cies of blueish cur without any hair, they make their hunting dispositions, 

 and appoint their land and water captains to head each party ; the duty of 

 the latter is to stand in the prov/'.of the canoe, and cheer the dogs to the 

 prey. The huntsman, in fact, is mostly an Indian, as those dogs will not 

 hunt to any other tongue ; what this is owing to, whether custom or saga- 

 city, I know not, but it is certainly the case ; however, the young Spaniards 

 and Creoles have latterly remedied this defect, and are now as well qualified 

 to hunt a bloodhound in the Indian tongue as an Indian himself. Both 

 parties having armed themselves with otter spears, barbed like harpoons, 

 and with handles made of rough, light Vv^ood, about ten feet in length, they 

 cheer on the bloodhounds, who no sooner wind the prey than they joiu 



' Lulra Brazilicnsis, Gmel. 



17 



