Quintet 231 



on the west side of the canoe attracted my attention and I 

 turned as two brown shapes appeared at the surface. They 

 looked about, showing no alarm at the nearness of the canoe, 

 then dived again. In previous visits I had seen them come 

 up with frogs, but this pair might have been playing for they 

 dived repeatedly and emerged with empty mouths. They 

 moved about in their typical otter manner, diving, some- 

 times appearing close together, and then widely separated. 

 After a short time they headed toward the open bay and I 

 lost sight of them. 



I considered the position in the marsh of this third mem- 

 ber of the quintet— the otter. It was friendly to such locations 

 and a regular but temporary visitor. When the timber re- 

 mained around the lake and men were not plentiful, these 

 mammals had probably lived and raised their young in the 

 area. They were never numerous like the muskrats. They are 

 great wanderers and often make regular tours after the 

 breeding season. Their food includes such items as shellfish, 

 crustaceans, some vegetation, and frogs, but their principal 

 diet is fish, and in that field they are competitive only with 

 the mink. Their long, contoured bodies are well suited to 

 animals whose land habits are only incidental to their water 

 existence. They are the most efficient of our marsh swimming 

 mammals, well equipped to make their way upstream through 

 the fastest of white water. They lack the ferocity of the 

 weasel and mink and make intelligent and interesting pets. 

 Although I have seen many of their slides, I have never seen 

 the animals play on them. For many years no other creature 

 attracted me like the otter. This was because I had read a 

 book, Tarka, the Otter, written by an Englishman named 

 Williamson, a writer who has most effectively portrayed the 

 life of a wild animal. It made me realize that fair play is one 

 of the great necessities of a conservation program. 



At present the otter makes such short stays that it has 

 little effect on the marsh situation. It has had a small part in 



