THE OTTER PLAYS ON 67 
ver; another time he was surrounded by several. 
one or more of which had their teeth in him. 
When he broke away he was being vigorously 
mauled by a single beaver, which appeared con- 
tent to let him go since the otter was bent on 
escape. It was an achievement for the otter 
to have held his own against such odds. The 
beaver is at home in the water, and, moreover, 
has terrible teeth and is a master in using them. 
Though originally a land animal, the otter is 
now also master of the water. He has webbed 
feet and a long, sea lion-like neck, which give 
him the appearance of an animal especially 
fitted for water travel. He outswims fish and 
successfully fights the wolf and the beaver in 
the water. He still has, however, extraordinary 
ability on land, where he goes long journeys 
and defends himself against formidable enemies. 
There are straggling otters which invade the 
realm of the squirrel by climbing trees. 
The otter is a mighty hunter and by stealth 
and strength kills animals larger than himself. 
He is also a most successful fisherman and is 
rated Al inwater. Here his keen eyes, his speed 
and quickness enable him to outswim and cap- 
ture the lightning-like trout. Fish is his main 
article of diet, but this must be fresh—just 
caught; he is a fish hog. He also eats crawfish, 
eels, mice, rabbits, and birds. However, he is 
