[Illustration:
THE OTTER.
]
These animals are, in general, rather more than three feet long from the
point of their nose to the tip of their tail. Their legs are very short,
but they are strong and muscular. The colour of their body is mostly of
a deep brown.
Otters live chiefly on the banks of rivers or brooks. They make the
entrance to their burrows under water, and work upwards, forming several
lodges, that they may have a retreat in case of high floods; they end by
making a small hole for the purpose of admitting air, but they take care
that this hole shall come out in the midst of some thick bush, so that
they may not be discovered. They are easily tamed, and are kept by many
fishermen, being found of great service. The fishermen send them into
the water, and they will often drive the fish into their nets, and
sometimes bring out the larger ones in their mouths.
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