59 



hand, bearing the toes which, distended, form nearly a semi-circle about 

 the palm ; the toes are webbed to about the middle of the conspicuous 

 digital bulbs ; the hand is hairy above ; the digital bulbs are bald below, 

 but the webbing is more or less completely hairy, isolating the naked 

 bulbs from each other, and from the palmar surface ; the main palmar 

 pad is naked, except a posterior scanty patch of hair, which may, by an 

 isthmus, connect with the fur on the wrist ; tbe soles resemble the palms 

 in the webbing — the shape is different; the fourth digit is much 

 elongat id, the third shorter, second and first rapidly graduated, and the 

 fifth intermediate between the third and second ; all the bald parts o the 

 palm and sole are tesselated with minute papillae ; on the back margin 

 of the naked portion of the plantar pad, are three or four small, definite, 

 elevated circular papillae, peculiar to this species as far as known, and 

 which Dr. Coues suggests may be the excretory pores of a glandular organ 

 beneath the skin ; the claws, back and front, are short, stout, arched, 

 compressed, tapering to an acute point from a thick base ; the front claws 

 are larger, sharper, and more arched than the hind ones. The variations 

 in stature are extraordinary; some are twice as large and heavy as 

 others apparently as mature — sexually so, at least. An average length 

 is four to four and one-half feet ; nose to root of tail, three feet ; nose to 

 eye, one and three-quarters to two inches ; nose to ear, three and one-half 

 to four inches ; ear less than an inch high, and about as broad ; fore foot, 

 three and one-half inches ; hind foot four inches ; girth of body about one 

 and one-half feet ; stature a foot or less ; weight twenty to twenty-five 

 pounds. The general color is a highly lustrous, rich, dark liver-brown, 

 but little lighter on the belly. The longer hairs are stifi, and glistening 

 when viewed with the lay of the hairs ; this it is that gives the fur its 

 beautiful lustre. The under-fur is a yellowish white at the base, and 

 light liver-brown at the tip; the former color is in excess oil the back, the 

 latter on the sides and belly; the transition is imperceptible. There are 

 no special markings anywhere ; the darkest part of the pelage is the top 

 of the tail ; the soles, palms, and nasal pad are dark. 



History of the Species. — Systematic authors of the last century either 

 confounded the present species with the European L. vulgaris, or with 

 South American species Until quite recently this species has been con- 

 founded with the Brazilian Otter, by some French and even American 

 authors. The specific characters already given are drawn by Dr. Coues, 

 with special reference to antithesis with L. vulgaris. Mustda canadensis, 

 of Turton (System^ Naturae, 1806, p. 57, English version), has priority 

 over Luitra canadensis, of Sabine (1823), usually quoted as authority for 



