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The skin of the Otter is, and has always been, a fur of great 
value, and deservedly so, for it is soft, close, and durable. The coat 
of this animal, like that of the Beaver, and almost all the aquatic 
Mammals, is composed of two layers — one next the skin, formed 
of short, fine, and downy hair ; the other, which grows through 
it, is more glossy, longer, and coarser. The Otter is hunted 
with ardour, as much to obtain possession of the animal’s fur as 
to destroy it. The pursuit, without fire-arms, is a difficult one, 
