low or natural crevice to the trouble of
digging burrows for themselves. Though they are very playful animals,
and delight apparently in sport, they are somewhat of a savage
disposition, and must be taken very young to be domesticated. They are
cautious, timid animals, and can seldom be approached unawares. They
eat all sorts of fresh-water fish, such as trout, perch, eels, and
suckers; and will also devour frogs. Occasionally they may be observed
on a rocky islet of some lone stream, resting after a banquet, or about
to plunge into the water in chase of one of the finny tribe, which their
keen eyes detect swimming by. They are trapped, in Canada, by steel
traps, which are submerged close to the bank below their "rubs." They
make a peculiar whistling sound, which the Indian can imitate perfectly,
and thus frequently induces them to approach. Their skins are
manufactured into muffs and trimmings and caps, such as are usually worn
in winter by Canadians.

An otter, when attacked, will defend itself with desperation, snapping
furiously at the Indian, and then shaking its head violently as a dog
does when destroying a rat. Their bite is severe--sufficient indeed to
snap off a man's finger--and when once its jaws are closed, no power is
capable of making it relinquish its grasp. The Canadians do not attempt
to tame the otter; but the persevering Chinese not only contrive to
domesticate the species found in their country, but teach them to
capture fish for their benefit.

THE SKUNK.

Rambling amid the woods, even in the neighbourhood of settlements, we
may occasionally come upon a curious little animal, with a
party-coloured coat and bushy tail, and an amiable and gentle
appearance. The creature appears to be in no way timid, and will very
likely await our approach. As we draw near it, however, it is apt to
turn round and erect its bushy tail perpendicularly. Let us beware of
what we are about, for, in a moment, the creature may send over us a
shower of a substance so horribly odious, that not only may we be
blinded and sickened by the effluvium, but our clothes will be made
useless, from the difficulty of getting rid of the odour.

The creature is the skunk, and is about the size of a cat. It possesses
short round ears, black cheeks, and a white stripe extending from the
nose to the back. The upper part of the neck and the whole back are
white, divided by a black line. Below, it is black, as are the legs;