below, thus preventing the inmates from
escaping.

The otter does not travel much on land, except when crossing country
from one lake or stream to another. Their bodies being long and their
legs short, walking is, for them, rather difficult and their mode of
locomotion is a series of plunging leaps. On the snow or ice they move
along rapidly by throwing themselves forward, sliding on their bellies.
They are very playful animals and sometimes amuse themselves by sliding
down a slippery bank. They also have landing places where they go to
roll in the leaves and grass. In the spring they often lay for hours on
some old log by the side of the stream, basking in the warm sun. They
can remain a long time under water, and in winter travel long distances
under the ice,--in fact, they prefer to travel this way whenever
possible.

The home of the otter is a burrow in the bank of a stream, the entrance
under water. At the end of the burrow is a nest lined with leaves and
grass. They also, sometimes, den in hollow logs and the trunks of hollow
trees. The dens are always located in the most secluded places, as far
as possible removed from danger of discovery. The young are born in
April or May and the number is from two to four.

With regard to raising the beaver and otter for profit, we will say that
there has been comparatively few attempts at the business and we are
unable to get any authentic data with regard to these experiments.
However, the animals do well in captivity, in zoos, and when kept by
private individuals, as pets, and it is our opinion that if one will but
go slowly and learn the habits and nature of the animals, a fair degree
of success may be attained. It should be understood that conditions must
be favorable and the animals should be given a range as nearly like
their natural home as possible. Of course, one could not make a success
of raising beavers in an open field. They must have wooded land where
their natural food, quaking aspen (sometimes poplar), birch, willow,
cottonwood, alder, is plentiful. A pool on some quiet little stream,
bordered by a large tract of forest, would be the proper place. Beavers
are not given to roaming, except during the summer months, and in such
cases they always return to their home before cold weather comes.

We believe that the animals could not be raised successfully by any of
the plans recommended for the rearing of other fur-bearing animals, but
should simply be placed i