ach succeeding year.
The skins do not become prime as early as those of some other animals,
but are in good condition in advance of the muskrat. The fur of the
beaver, otter, muskrat and bear remains in good condition until late in
the spring.

During the summer months many of the beavers travel about on the streams
and if a house is found at this time it may be deserted, or at the best,
only one or two animals will be found there. As fall approaches, they
all return to the lodge and from that time until the water is frozen
they will be hard at work laying up the winter's store of food.

THE OTTER.--The otter is occasionally met with in almost all parts of
North America, in some places fairly plentiful, in others very rare, but
they are found in greatest numbers in the swamps of some of the Southern
States, and in the wilder portions of Canada, Alaska and Newfoundland.
There are two species, the common otter and the sea otter, which latter
is only found in the North Pacific and is now quite rare. Of the common
otter there are some three or four varieties, differing only in size and
color. The habits of the otter are very little known by the average man,
and many of the trappers know little about this animal. They are
rambling animals, traveling the streams and lakes for great distances.
They will travel sometimes ten or fifteen miles to visit some certain
lake and perhaps will only stay there over night. Again, if undisturbed,
they may remain for a month or more on some small pond.

They are on very friendly terms with the beaver and will frequently
spend several weeks or months with a beaver family, apparently living in
the same house. If an otter knows the location of two or more families
of beavers, it will spend practically all of its time with one or other
of the beaver families, or may make frequent visits from one to the
other.

The otter is an exceedingly active animal and is so much at home in the
water that it is able to catch fish with ease, and they are its
principal food. Where fish are plentiful, they will kill them merely for
pleasure, and what they can not eat, they will store up in some little
bay or inlet along the shore. These, however, are not placed there for
future use, as the otter will only eat food that is strictly fresh.
Besides fish, they also eat large numbers of frogs, which are easily
secured. They also eat muskrats and sometimes surprise these animals by
coming up into the houses from