A New Jersey Otter 1 



By William T. Davis 



While at Newfoundland, N. J., in April, 1907, I Avas informed 

 that after the water had been drawn off of Brown's Pond during 

 the winter a dead otter, Lutra canadensis, had been found on the 

 bank and that it still lay where discovered. The remains were 

 found without difficulty, and though it had been much eaten by 

 dogs and one leg was gone, the creature was nevertheless carried 

 away and the head preserved. The cleaned skull shows the teeth 

 to be considerably worn and decayed in places, which would seem 

 to indicate considerable age. 



The southeasterly side of Newfoundland Mountain is a preci- 

 pice, and there are many massive fragments of rock that have 

 fallen so as to lie partly in the waters of the present artificial 

 pond, and there form a strong retreat for an otter where he could 

 hardly be disturbed. It has, however, been pointed out by Mr. 

 Samuel N. Rhoads in his Mammals of Pennsylvania and New 

 Jersey that even in the tide-water creeks, .when the otters do 

 not have the advantage of such a rock retreat as described, they 

 are far from exterminated, though owing to their nocturnal habits 

 and extreme wariness they are seldom seen even by naturalists. 



1 Presented April 18, 1908. 



