228 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[NO. 127. 



district, comprising the posts in the Isle a la Crosse region, sent out 

 461 skins in 1889, and 207 in 1890, mostly from Isle a la Crosse and 

 Green Lake. He also mentions obtaining specimens at Fort Chipe- 

 wyan.^ 



Lutra canadensis (Schreber). Canadian Otter. 



The otter occurs throughout the wooded portion of the region, but 

 is rare over most of this area. Skins were seen at all the posts visited, 

 but although an occasional track was noted none of the animals were 

 observed during our trips except in the region between Fort Eae and 

 Great Bear Lake. Wliile making this traverse in August, 1903, 

 otters, sometimes in pairs, were observed on several of the lakes, and 

 ' otter sign ' indicated that the animals were fairly common along 

 the rapids of most of the streams. On the lakes north of Lake 

 Hardisty several were pursued, but we failed to secure specimens, 

 with the exception of a skull picked up at a rapid near MacTavish 

 Bay. "VA^ien pursued they swam altogether beneath the surface, rising 

 at intervals of a minute or two to breathe and reconnoiter. On first 

 reaching the surface the animal raises its head about a foot above the 

 water to survey the situation. After remaining a few seconds in this 

 position it sinks until onl}^ the head remains in sight while it regains 

 its breath, remaining quiescent for some seconds. It then dives again, 

 especially if hard pressed, and swims for a distance of 200 yards or 

 more before reappearing, usually in an unexpected direction. If the 

 animal is wounded, it raises only the nose above the surface, and in 

 this position usually escapes detection if there be ever so slight a 

 ripple on the water. 



While ascending the Athabaska in August, 1903, Merritt Cary saw 

 otter tracks near Brule Eapid. Reports from the Liard indicate 

 that a fair number are annually traded at Forts Nelson and Liard, 

 and a few are received also at Fort Simpson. On the lower Mac- 

 kenzie the animal is rare, only one or two being annually traded at 

 Fort Good Hope. Fort Anderson also received comparatively few 

 skins during the five years of its existence. In 1861 five were traded, 

 and in 1862, three. 



At the time of Franklin's second northern journey these animals 

 were rather common about Fort Franklin and did considerable 

 damage to fish nets ; on one occasion six were seen in one day.^ Rich- 

 ardson states that the otter inhabits the Mackenzie and other rivers 

 nearly to the Arctic Sea.^ J. B. Tyrrell states that in the region to 

 the eastward of Athabaska Lake the otter occurs on all the streams 



« Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XXVIII, pp. 714, 715, 1905. 



^ Narrative Second Expedition to Polar Sea, p. 72, 1828. 



^ Fauna Boreali-Americana, I, p. 58, 1829. 



