shining brown as its back. It is a much larger animal, and has, in proportion, a shorter tail than the European one. In the winter season it frequents rapids and falls, to have the advantage of open water, and when its usual haunts are frozen over, it will travel to a great distance, through the snow, in search of a rapid which has resisted the severity of the weather. If it is seen, it throws itself on its belly, and slides through the snow for several yards, leaving a deep furrow behind it. This movement is made with great rapidity. When closely pressed, it will turn and defend itself with great obstinacy. It inhabits the Mackenzie and other rivers nearly to the Arctic Sea, and the western parts of the United States.

THE SOUTH AMERICAN OTTER.1

THE color of the South American otter is different from that of the European the latter is much darker; and the male is still darker than the female, who generally gets brown while suckling her puppies; Abbé Ricardo says that they change coats. The skin is now more valuable than formerly, and is used for pistol covers, and foraging regimental caps are made of them. The skins of otters are also used for segar cases, and the Indians eat their flesh. In destroying fish, the otter rejects the head, and will not use it, although pressed by hunger. In Buenos Ayres there is one quite domesticated, which will invariably bring home what it gets in the river: but tame habits make it lazy and indolent; it is vicious during the breeding season, and is obliged to be chained.

The sport of otter hunting in South America is thus described by a recent traveller:-In the month of May, the parties assemble by previous arrangement, composed principally of the chief inhabitants and their relatives or clans, and visiters, male slaves, muleteers, &c. Having ascended the waterfalls, they encamp near those clear and transparent rivers in which otters abound. After the business of physicing the bloodhounds and a species of blueish cur without any hair, they make their hunting dispositions, and appoint their land and water captains to head each party; the duty of the latter is to stand in the prow of the canoe, and cheer the dogs to the prey. The huntsman, in fact, is mostly an Indian, as those dogs will not hunt to any other tongue; what this is owing to, whether custom or sagacity, I know not, but it is certainly the case; however, the young Spaniards and Creoles have latterly remedied this defect, and are now as well qualified to hunt a bloodhound in the Indian tongue as an Indian himself. Both parties having armed themselves with otter spears, barbed like harpoons, and with handles made of rough, light wood, about ten feet in length, they cheer on the bloodhounds, who no sooner wind the prey than they join

1 Lutra Braziliensis, GMEL.

chorus with their huntsman, until they arrive near the Calle Pero, or otter city, when the land party divides into three; one watches; another ascends the ford; while the other pokes the banks, in order to eject the creature. As soon as he is started, the hounds are again in full cry, and the curs are loosed to dive after him, and will relieve each other in this task: as soon as one is up, down goes the other, while the hounds keep up the cry in the water at a slow pace, until they eventually force the creature to the head of the stream into shallow water, where these curs either snap him up, or he is speared by the hunters; after this the hounds are allowed the gratification of mouthing him until satisfied, when they again return to depopulate this little commonwealth of otters.

In their abode the heads, tails, fins, and fragments, of several species of fish will be seen. As he seldom eats more than a mouthful of each fish, he must cause a frightful destruction among the finny race, and his depredations cause his haunts to be found out at low water, when the hounds would otherwise pass him.

THIS harmless, playful, and interesting animal is generally about four feet long, thirteen inches of which are occupied by the tail. The fur is of great value, it being soft and of a deep glossy black. It has long been exported in great quantities by the Russians, who received eighty or a hundred rubles from the Chinese for each skin until the market was overstocked. The sea otter is to be found only within a very few degrees of latitude in the North Pacific; its range being mostly confined to the coast of Kamtschatka, the adjoining islands, and the opposite American shore. Sea otters are perfectly inoffensive, and so sportive that much of their time seems to be passed in playing diverting tricks. They live in pairs, and are very constant to each other. Such is their fondness for their young, that they will never abandon them; on being robbed of them they will starve themselves to death, and will endeavor to breathe their last on the spot where their offspring were destroyed.

THE DOG.1

LARGENESS of the frame, elegance of the form, strength of the body, freedom of the motions, and all the exterior qualities, are not the noblest properties in an animated being; and, as in mankind, understanding is preferred to figure, courage to strength, and sentiment to beauty, so the interior qualities are those which we esteem most in animals; for it is in these that they differ from the automaton; it is by these they are raised above the vegetable, and made to approach nearer to ourselves; it is their sense which ennobles their being, which regulates, which enlivens it, which commands the organs, makes the members active, gives birth to desire, and gives to matter progressive motion, will, and life.

The dog, independently of his beauty, vivacity, strength, and swiftness, has all the interior qualities which can attract the regard of man. The tame dog comes to lay at his master's feet his courage, strength, and talents, and waits his orders to use them; he consults, interrogates, and beseeches; the glance of his eye is sufficient; he understands the signs of his will. Without the vices of man, he has all his ardor of sentiment; and, what is more, he has fidelity and constancy in his affections; no ambition, no interest, no desire of revenge, no fear but that of displeasing him, he is all zeal, all warmth, and all obedience; more sensible to the remembrance of benefits than of wrongs, he soon forgets, or only remembers them to make his attachment the stronger; far from irritating, or running away, he even exposes himself to new proofs; he licks the hand which is the cause of his pain, he only opposes it by his cries, and at length entirely disarms it by his patience and submission.

In deserts, and depopulated countries, there are wild dogs, which in their manners differ only from wolves, by the facility with which they are tamed; they unite also in large troops, to hunt and attack by force wild boars and bulls, and even lions and tigers.

Dogs which have been abandoned in the deserts of America, and have lived wild for a hundred and fifty, or two hundred years, though changed from their original breed, since they are sprung from domestic dogs, have, notwithstanding this long space of time, retained, at least in part, their primitive form, and travellers report that they resemble our greyhound.*

1 Canis familiaris, LIN. The genus Canis has six upper and six lower incisors; two upper and two lower canines; twelve upper and fourteen lower molars. The three first molars in the upper jaw, and the four in the lower, small edged; the great carnivorous tooth above bicuspid, with a tubercle on the inner side; two tuberculous teeth behind each of the large carnivorous ones; muzzle elongated; tongue soft; ears erect; fore feet pentadactylous; hind feet tetradactylous; teats inguinal and ventral.

*It must not be understood that the dog is not an original inhabitant of America. Godman remarks that the people of the northern parts of America and Asia, have, for ages beyond the memory of man, employed dogs as beasts of burden, or for draught. The dogs of the Esquimaux, and other aborigines of this continent, differ much in size and color, yet they are all of a breed apparently intermediate to the wolf and fox.

These wild dogs, however, are extremely thin and light; and as the greyhound does not differ much from the cur, or from the dog which we will call the shepherd's dog, it is natural to think, that these wild dogs are rather of this species, than real greyhounds; since on the other side, ancient travellers have said, that the dogs of Canada had the ears straight like foxes, and resembled the middle sized mastiff, that is, our shepherd's dog, and that those of the deserts of the Antilles isles, had also the head and ears very long, and in appearance very much resemble foxes.

Dogs are commonly born with their eyes shut: the two eyelids are not only closed, but adhere by a membrane, which breaks away as soon as the muscle of the superior eyelid is become strong enough to raise it and to overcome this obstacle; and the greater number of dogs have not their eyes open till the tenth or twelfth day. They attain their growth in two years. The dog is at fifteen years, and seldom lives beyond twenty.

THE GREYHOUND.1

THIS elegantly formed animal was once held in such estimation, that it was the peculiar companion of a gentleman, who was anciently known by his horse, his hawk, and his greyhound. In such repute was it, that Canute enacted a law that it should not even be kept by any one who was under the rank of a gentleman. It has a long body, a neat and elongated head, full eye, long mouth, sharp and very white teeth, little ears, with thin gristles in them, a straight neck and full breast; his fore and hind legs are long and straight; his ribs round, strong, and full of sinews, and taper about the belly. It is the swiftest of the dog kind, and easily trained for the chase when twelve months old. It courses by sight and not by scent, as other hounds do; and is supposed to outlive all the dog tribe. Buffon

imagines it to be descended from the Irish greyhound, only rendered more thin and delicate by the influence of climate. There is a variety of this species, which is called the Highland greyhound. It is very large, strong, deep-chested, covered with long rough hair, and has the scent and sagacity of the bloodhound. This kind has become exceedingly scarce.

THIS beautiful animal is of Spanish extraction, whence it derives its name, and the silky softness of its coat. It is elegant in form, with long pendent ears, and hair gracefully curled or waved. Its scent is keen, and it possesses in the fullest perfection the good qualities of sagacity, docility, and attachment. So strong is the latter, that instances have been known in which the animal has died of grief for the loss of its master. Dash, a spaniel belonging to the gamekeeper of the Rev. Mr Corsellis, would not quit his master's bed after his death; being taken away, he perpetually returned to the room, and daily visited the grave; and, in spite of all the kindness that was shown him, he died at the end of fourteen days. The land spaniel may be taught a variety of tricks, such as fetching, carrying, and diving. He is employed in setting for partridges, quails, &c., and his steadiness and patience, in the performance of this task, are worthy of admiration.

THE WATER SPANIEL.2

Of all the dog kind, this animal seems to be the most docile, and the most attached to man. Many other species are impatient of correction; but the water spaniel, though fierce to strangers, bears blows and ill usage from his master with undiminished affection. This creature is well calculated for hunting of otters, ducks, &c. Watching the stroke of the piece and perceiving the game that is shot, he instantly swims after it, and brings it to C. f. aquaticus.

1 Canis fam. extrarius.