TFTE SOUTHERN OTTER. 



567 



least to the Rocky Mountains. At the time the State was first set- 

 tled by the whites, otters lived along all of the larger water courses. 

 They have been rare for many years, but are not yet entirely exter- 

 minated. 



The Prince of Wied states that otter were abundant along the 

 Wabash at New Harmony in 1832-33 ; he mentions a pure white 

 one taken on the Mississippi. A specimen was taken near New 

 Harmony in the winter of 1906-07. Mr. Robert S. White says that 

 otter still live along Pigeon Creek in Warrick County. Mr. Chans- 

 ler says ' ' a few are still taken in the southern part of Knox County, 

 but they are about extinct. In the early days they were common, 

 and peopled killed them in the snow as they traveled from one pond 

 to another. A snow white one was caught in a trap near Vincennes 

 in INFarch. 1902. Another white one was caught by Mr. M. Arm- 



FiG. 15. — Skull of Lutra canadensis lataxina fiom Washington, D. C After Baird, 



strong south of Vincennes, December 17, 1905." I am unable to 

 learn that white otters are generally common and it would seem that 

 the albinistic quality may be an hereditary character of certain 

 otters in that vicinity. An otter in the State Museum was taken 

 in Pike County in 1904. Mr. Blatchley reports it from Putnam 

 County in 1871. 



Dr. Plummer says otters were very scarce about Richmond in 

 1844. In 1869, Raymond states "that it is barely possible that a few 

 still linger along the Whitewater (Franklin County). None have 

 been seen for many years." Prof. Van Gorder states that the last 

 otter in Noble County was killed near Skinner Lake in 1863. 



Along the Kankakee they have remained until very recent times, 

 perhaps still exist, although the draining of the swamps is rapidly 

 exterminating them. Mr. I. W. Burton saw one which was taken 

 near Roselawn in th.e winter of 1903-04. The skin sold for $11.50. 



Hahits. — Fish constitute the principal food of otters. They pur- 

 sue them actively, swimming and diving with great agility, and 



