LUTRA VULGARIS. 59 



commonly ; in Italy, in the pine forests of the Apennines, 

 near Eavenna, about Ostia, at Castel Fusano, as well as 

 in other parts of that peninsula. It is not uncommon in 

 the forests of the temperate parts of Eussia, the Crimea, 

 and Caucasus. Desmarest says that it exists over all the 

 North of Europe. 



Genus LUTRA. 



Teeth. — Incisors, |; canines, jE^; molars, |^| or 

 g^g. Body long; feet short ; toes five, webbed ; head de- 

 pressed ; ears very short ; tongue slightly rough ; tail flat- 

 tened. Habits aquatic. 



Lutra vulgaris. 



Lutra vulgaris, Desm. Mamm. Sp. 289 ; Bell, Brit. Quad. 

 Viverra Lutra, Pallas, Zoog. Boss. As. 

 Common Otter. 



Description. — Head broad and flattened ; muzzle blunt ; 

 upper lip very thick and muscular, projecting over the 

 lower ; whiskers strong ; eyes small ; ears rounded, almost 

 hid in the fur. Hair of body of two kinds, the shorter 

 greyish white, the longer the same colour at the roots, deep 

 brown at the ends, which last is the general colour of the 

 body ; sides of the head, throat, neck beneath, and breast 

 ashy ; feet reddish brown ; tail dusky brown. 



Length of head and body, 2 feet 3 inches ; head, 5 inches ; 

 tail, 16| inches. 



Feeds on fish. Lives on the banks of rivers and lakes. 

 Swims very actively. Breeds in March, producing four or 

 five at a birth. 



Common in the British Islands, and all over Europe and 

 Siberia. 



