MAMMALIA. FER^. Otters. 173 



Muftela Lutra. Syft. nat. ed. Gmel. r. p. 93. n. 2. Faun. Suec. 12. S. G. Gmel. It. ill. 285' . 

 373. Erxlcb. main. 448. n. 2. Sckreber, iii. 457. t. cxxvi. A. B. — Lutra, or Otter, with equal 

 toes. Faun. Suec. i. n. ro. Gefn. quad. 775. fig. p. 776. Gefn. aqu. 6o'S. Aldrov. 292. f. p. 295. 

 Jonft. quad. 150. t. 68. Raj. quad. 187. Stn. Buff. iv. 232. pi lxviil. — Greater Otter. Perm. hift. 

 of quad. n. 226. Bhit. zool. i. n. 19. Brit. zool. illuft. tab. c. Arct. 2001. n. 34 — Fiichotter. 

 Ridinger, wilde thier, t. 28. — Its Anatomy. E. N. C. d. I. a. 3. obf. 195. and d. 2. a. 10. obf. 1 1 2. 

 and cent. ic. app. 468. 



Inhabits Europe, North America, and Afia, as far fouth as Perfia. • This animal frequents frefli water 

 rivers, lakes, and fiih ponds, but is never found in the fea; it preys on fifh, frogs, and frefli water 

 cruftaceous animals, being exceedingly deftructive to fiih ponds ; it lives in holes under ground, 

 which always open under the furface of water ; thefe are conftructed with great care to prevent their 

 being overflowed, and are carried upwards fo as to, have a fmall air-hole opening in the middle of 

 fome bufli. The Otter procreates in February, and brings forth three or four young ones in May ; 

 the male calls the female by a foft murmuring noife ; it is a crafty, and cruelly biting animal, yet 

 may be tamed, and even employed to catch fiih for its mafter: It is in general about two feet long, 

 from the tip of the nofe to the bafe of the tail, which is fixteeri inches in length ; the male weighs 

 from eighteen to twenty-fix pounds; the female from thirteen to twenty-two: The fur is of a deep 

 brown colour, with two fmall white (pots on each fide of the nofe, and one beneath the chin ; the 

 throat and breaft are cinereous ; the head is broad and flat, with a fliort broad nofe, thick lips, and 

 large whifkers ; the ears are fliort; the neck is lhort and thick; the legs are fliort, thick, and loofelv 

 connected to the body, having on each foot five toes, which are connected together by webs. 



017 6. Canadian Otter. — M. Lutra canadenjis. 



Of a black colour and fmooth fur; with a long taper tail. Sm. Buff. vi. 324. pi. ccxlvih 



Inhabits Canada, and other parts of North America. — The Count de Buffon, inftead of defcribing 

 this animal, gets into a long difquifition about the Latax of Arifrotle, which he finally determines is 

 not the fpecies in queftion. In a note, he quotes Dennis, who fays, that the Otters of North Ame- 

 rica are commonly much larger and blacker than thofe of Europe, fome being as black as jet ; and 

 that their fur is finer. By the- plate, the throat and lower parts of the face feem of a whitifh or <rey 

 colour. 



338 



7. LeiTcr Otter. — 3. M. Lutrdfubva. 3. 



The feet are webbed and very hairy, having toes of an equal length ; and the mouth is 

 white. Faun. Suec. 12. Lepechin, It. i. 176. t. 12. 



Muftela Lutreola. Syft. nat. ed. Gmel.' 1. p. 94. n. 3. — Lutra minor, or Leffer Otter. Erxleb. 

 mam. 451. n, 3. Schreber, iii. 462. t. exxvii. Penn. hift. of quad. n. 228. pi. xxxviii. Arct. zool. 

 n. 35. — Duiky Weafel, Viverra fufca, having -a white mouth. Leche, act. Holm. 1759, P. xxi. 292. 

 t. 11 — Viverra Lutreola. Pallas, fpicil. zool. xiv. 46. t. 8. f. 1. — N'oerza. Agrie. de anim. fubter. 

 39- 



Inhabits Germany, though rarely, Poland, Finland, Ruffia, and Siberia. — Lives in marfhy places, 

 preying on fifh and frogs : Seldom exceeds a foot in length : The body is of a tawny and dufky co- 

 lour 



