THE LIFE OF MAMMALS 
be followed fearlessly into bad waters and dangerous retreats, 
and when cornered is capable of fierce and bloody resistance, 
taxing the skill and pluck of both dogs and men until dispatched 
by the thrust of a spear. Nevertheless otters have been tamed 
and taught to fish and to bring their catch ashore, or to swim 
about and drive fish into nets. This art is an old one in the 
Orient, and occasionally practiced in Europe. As pets otters 
are most amusing, being fond of romping with the dogs, and 
showing much intelligence and affection toward their masters. 
The medieval Catholic Church declared the animal, in view 
of its aquatic life, to be ‘‘fish,” and so permitted the eating of 
its flesh on fast days; thus enabling the Carthusian monks to 
indulge in it without violating their rule of abstention from 
flesh, as readers of Izaak Walton’s genial philosophy will re- 
member. 
The fur of otters is of very fine quality, dense, grayish at the 
base, and rich, shining dark brown on the surface. Its value 
is now very great, as otters are fast disappearing, though a few 
manage to exist, by nocturnal, secretive habits, even in long- 
settled countries. But the Brazilian otter, which is the largest 
and fiercest of its race, hunts wholly by day, and “works” its 
rivers in large companies.*® 
Our North-American otter, though closely similar in most re- 
spects to the European one, has certain noteworthy peculiarities, 
extensively treated by Coues'® and other American naturalists. 
The species was originally scattered over most of the continent, 
and some still linger in every state, but trapping for them is 
unprofitable now except in the far North. Merriam says that 
in summer in the Adirondacks they live very largely on crayfish ; 
other writers mention a wide variety of food beyond fish. In 
winter they wander widely, starting on excursions which require 
them to make long overland trips through the snow from one 
frozen river or lake to another, in order to get a requisite amount 
of food. A striking characteristic of our otter is its playful- 
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