68 WATCHED BY WILD ANIMALS. 
an epicure and wants only the choicer cuts. 
He never stores food or returns to finish a 
partly eaten kill. The more abundant the food 
supply the less of each catch or kill will he eat. 
Food saving is not one of .his habits, and 
conservation has never been one of his practices. 
Though he hunts and travels ‘mostly at night 
and alone, he is variable in his habits. 
Like all keen-witted animals the otter is ever. 
curious concerning the new or the unusual. 
He has a good working combination of the cau- 
tious and the courageous. One day an otter in 
passing hurriedly rattled gravel against a dis- 
carded sardine can. He gave three or four 
frightened leaps, then turned to look back. 
He wondered what it was. With circling, 
cautious advances he slowly approached and 
touched the can. It was harmless—and use- 
ful. He cuffed it and chased it; he played with 
it as a kitten plays with a ball. Presently he 
was joined in the play by another. For several 
minutes they battered it about, fell upon it, 
raced for it, and strove to be the first to reach 
it. 
The otter is distributed over North America, 
but only in Alaska and northern Canada does 
the population appear to have been crowded. 
In most areas it might be called sparse. In 
reduced numbers he still clings to his original 
