THE OTTER. 385 



district of the " broads" for learning much about their habits. 

 In the 'Transactions of the Norfolk Naturalists' Society' for 

 1872-73, will be found an article (pp. 79 — 90), in which the last- 

 named observer has given some most useful statistics relative to 

 the number of young at birth, date when found, and probable age, 

 with a view to fix the date of birth. Mr. A. H. Cocks, in ' The 

 Zoologist' for 1877 (p. 100), contributed some further informa- 

 tion, chiefly in regard to the latter point ; and, replying to his 

 remarks, Mr. Southwell (torn. cit. p. 172) dissented from his view 

 that Otters, like other animals, breed most commonly in the 

 spring, maintaining that the period of reproduction is in the 

 winter — namely, from December to February inclusive. 



In the ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society' (Feb. 1882), 

 Mr. Cocks gave an account of the breeding of a pair of Otters in 

 his possession, and published some supplementary notes in ' The 

 Zoologist' for 1882 (pp. 201 — 204), chiefly in relation to the 

 growth and daily behaviour of the young, of which two were 

 produced, the period of gestation being estimated at sixty-one 

 days. It proved afterwards to be sixty-three days. 



From a subsequent article by Mr. Southwell (Zool. 1888, 

 pp. 248 — 251), and communications from other contributors, we 

 are led to the following conclusions : — that the Otter breeds in 

 late autumn and winter, but more often in winter. Mr. Hurley, a 

 competent judge, says the young are born towards the end of 

 February — that the period of gestation is like that of the dog, 

 precisely nine weeks ; that, although the number of teats in the 

 female is six, the number of young produced at a birth is generally 

 two or three, very rarely four; and that they are born blind, and 

 are suckled for six weeks, not touching fish until they are seven 

 weeks old. The fact that quite young Otters have been found in 

 every month of the year is explained by their being the progeny of 

 female Otters that have paired as they arrived at maturity. For 

 fuller details on all these points the reader may be referred to the 

 articles above quoted. 



