THE OTTER TRIBE. 335 



The female brings forth in the spring, and ge- 

 nerally produces four or five at a litter. She pre- 

 pares for them a bed of moss, leaves, and straw. 

 Aldrovandus tells us, that when she suspects they 

 will be stolen from her, she carries them in her 

 mouth from place to place, changing her retreat even 

 several times a-day. — M. de Buffon informs us, that, 

 in his neighbourhood, a Weesel with three young 

 ones was taken out of the body of a Wolf, that had 

 been hung on a tree by the hind feet. The Wolf 

 was in a state of putrefaction ; and the Weesel had 

 made a nest of leaves and herbage, in the thorax. 



Among other curious particulars respecting this 

 animal, it has been observed, that, when asleep, 

 its muscles are in such a state of extreme flaccidil}-, 

 that it may be taken up by the head, and swung 

 backwards and forwards like a pendulum several 

 times, before it will awake. 



The Weesel is found in all the temperate parts of 

 Europe, and also in Barbary : but in the bleak 

 northern climates it is very scarce. — In Siberia there 

 is a white variety, tlie skins of which are chiefly 

 sent to China, where they are sold at the rate of 

 three or four rubles each. 



THE OTTER TRIBE. 



THE Otters diflfer from the Weesels, in living al- 

 most constantly in the water ; from whence they 

 principally derive their food, which consists of fish. 



