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ployed, baited on the pan with fish, or hidden in the snow path, or at — 
the top of the slide; the trap is scented with various animal odors, and 
care is taken not to handle the trap with bare hands. The sight and 
smell of the Otter are so acute, and his wariness and sagacity of so high 
an order, that the utmost caution is required to insure his capture. 
Audubon’s observation of the “sliding” of the Otter is as follows: 
“The Otters ascend the bank at a place suitable for their diversion, and 
sometimes where it is very steep, so that they are obliged to make quite 
an effort to gain the top. They slide down in rapid succession where 
there are many at a sliding place. On one occasion we were resting 
' ourself on the bank of Canoe Creek, a small stream near Henderson, 
which empties into the Ohio, when a pair of Otters made their appear- 
ance, and, net observing our proximity, began to enjoy their sliding 
pastime. They glided down the soap-like, muddy slepe ef the slide with 
the rapidity of an arrow from a bow, [+] and we counted each one making 
twenty-two slides before we disturbed their spertive occupation. 
“This habit of the Otter of sliding down from elevated places to the 
borders of streams, is not confined to cold countries, or to slides en ice or 
snow, but is pursued in the southern States, where the earth is seldom 
covered with snow, or the waters frozen over. Along the reserve-dams 
of the rice field: of Carolina and Georgia, these slides are very common. 
Hrom the fact that this occurs in mest cases during winter, about the 
period of the rutting season, we are inclined to believe that this propen- 
sity may be traced to these instincts which lead the sexes to their peri- 
odical associations. 
“The Otter is a very expert swimmer, and can overtake almost any 
fish ; and as it is a voracious animal, it doubtless destroys a great number 
of fresh water fishes annually. We are not aware of its having a prefer- 
ence for any particular species, although it is highly probable’ that it 
has. About twenty-five years ago, we went early one autumnal morning 
to study the habits of the Otter at Gordon and Spring’s Ferry, on the 
Cooper River, six miles above Charleston [S. C.], where they were rep- 
resented as being quite abundant. They came down with the receding 
tide in groups of families of five or six together. In the space of two 
hours we counted forty-six. They soon separated, ascending the differ- 
ent creeks in the salt marshes, and engaged in capturing mullets [ Mugzl]. 
In most cases they came te the bank with the fish in their mouths, 
dispatching it in a minute, and then hastened back again after more 
prey. They returned up the river to their more secure retreat with the 
rising tide. In the small lakes and ponds of the interier of Carolina, 
—_ 
+ “A statement certainly too figurative for literal acceptation.” (Coues.) 
