The Ways of the Otter. 
27 
dived : the water became tiuged with blood, but the auimal did uot .show 
itself again. If we surpiiscvl them whilst gorgiug their spoil ou the 
banks or ou one of the rocky boulders they rushed to water down the 
former as quick as thought but nevertheless on such occasion one bebind 
the other, or else jumped into it from the latter one after another. Tluty 
very generally have a fixed spot where they devour their prey, the en- 
virous of Avhich are absolutely pestilential o\\'ing to the remnants left 
behind, including head, tail and bones. The smaller species generally 
hu]it in companies of from eiglit to ten. i^wiiii,niing in a cross-line 
against the current they suddenly dive, continue their progress under 
water for ten minutes or so, seize by tlie l.elly any üsh passing above 
them, and drag it to their feeding-ground where they leave it, aud jjnme- 
diately hurry back to the water aud resume the pillage. It is only Av)ieu 
a quantity has been gathered that the members of the comp juy commence 
on the common meal. Tlie Indians turn this peculiarity to tlieir own 
advantage: they sneak warily into tlie proxiuiity of such places, wait 
quietly by, until the otters have deposited their booty, and remove it as 
soon as they return to the water. Otters will seize the largest fish, even 
tlie Sudis gij/os, and often drag 12 to 1.5 lb. weight to the bank. My 
lirother was witness on the Coi-entyne wheu an otter of tlie smaller species 
tliat had dragged a 12-lb.. Haimara { Mncrodon. tralnra, Müll., Enjt/iri- 
nus mncrodon Agas.) up a boulder-rock, absolutely declined being inter- 
rupted gnawing away at it l>y the shouts of his accompanying Indians : 
only when some of the latter jumped into the boat aud paddled toAvards 
the creature did it surrender its spoil. The feeding-grounds just men- 
tioned are recognisable in addition to the ]iestilential stench of their 
surroundings, by the deeply excavated pathway leadiug to them. Otters 
take up their quarters in holes along the banks. The young appeav to 
remain a fairly good time under the protection of their parents. Wiien 
danger tlireateus, tlie mother seizes tlie young in her mouth aud springs 
into tlie Avater: Avhen it is i>ast, slie ai^pears once more on the surface 
isnorting angrily. Nevertheless the Indians knoAV how to ontwit tlie old 
ones, and manage to steal their young, taming them so that they may 
run after them like dogs. They feed them with fish, flesh and fruits. 
Tlio skin of tlie larger species is dark immsc drnl» on the belly, on the 
back almost black, the head also mouse-dral>: tlie lireast shows a milk- 
white spot. The snout is short, and possesses a strong ''beard": tlv,> 
feet are just as uncommonly short. The peculiar liristly hair is thick: 
the woolly pelt on the other hand is uncommonly fine and of a lighter 
colour. The length of the smaller species amounts to upwards of -1 
feet, of which the tail takes up from 13 to 14 inches . Their colour passes 
from clear mouse-drab rather to reddisli . The lielly is white, like that 
of the bi^east-spot also found on it. In their habits they correspond 
entirely with the former except that they do not, like them, live iu pairs, 
hut in companies. It Avould seem to me, that tlie head is comparatively 
broader. The Arawaks call them Assiero, the Caribs Avari- 
puya, the Tarumas Oarangneh, the Warraus Etopu (smaller species) 
and Iischa-keya (larger sp.). On the coastal rivers, especially in the 
Demerara, there is yet present the Bank- otter [Pterura Samhachii) . 
