Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 1 (1877).djvu/199

Rh his conclusions that "Otters, with other animals, appear to breed most commonly in the spring"; and I am inclined to think that the instances adduced tend to prove that such is not generally the case. It is very difficult to judge the age of a young Otter, they differ so much in size and weight, but judging to the best of my ability, from the data given I should think the ten young ones mentioned by Mr. Cocks would be born somewhat as follows:—No. 1, early in September; No. 2, early in January; No. 3, early in August; No. 4, October; No. 5, February; No. 6, February; No. 7, November(?); No. 8, March(?); No. 9, October(?); No. 10, May(?). There is, I think, more uncertainty about the last four than there is about the others. This shows a sufficiently wide margin certainly, but if I am right in my estimate of their age, only two of the examples mentioned appear to have been born in the spring. One of the young ones now in the Zoological Gardens Mr. Cocks says must undoubtedly have been born in the autumn, and indications mentioned by that gentleman as observed in the case of the two females now in his possession seem to point to the dead season of the year as the most probable period for the young to be born. In 'Land and Water' for March, 1873, it is stated that a young Otter which could not see (sic) was picked up dead on the banks of the Want, a tributary of the River Don, on the 15th December, 1872. In the same paper for January 16, 1875, two young Otters are said to have been killed while in company with their mother near Maidenhead on 10th January, 1875; and "a little baby Otter" is said to have been caught by the tail in January, 1875, by a man lying in ambush for wild duck at Llechrhwyd, in the issue of the same journal for April 10, 1875. The following cases in which it is possible to form an approximate idea of the age of the young ones, or in which the condition of the female indicated the time of breeding, have come under my own notice since the paper to which you did me the honour to allude (p. 18) was published:—

February 23, 1873. A female big with young.

March 15, 1873. Female and young one; the latter 20 inches long and I¾ ℔. weight, probably six or eight weeks old.

April 12, 1873. Two young ones, both females, 25½ inches long and 4¼ ℔s. weight, and 25⅞ inches long and 4½ ℔s. weight respectively—probably rather under four months old.

End of November, 1874. A female giving suck (Rev. E.J. Blofield).

November 24, 1876. A female giving suck; three teats on each side all distended with milk.

December 26, 1875. Three young ones, one of which was taken alive: when I saw it on the 30th April following I took it to be about six months old.

January 5, 1877. An old female and three young ones. The female was still giving suck (three teats on each side all in use); although the young