THE Otter was originally a native of the North, where it is very numerous. The amount of furs produced from this animal alone is immense. It is rarely to be found in warm climates.

There are four species, bearing the four following names. The Lutra vulgaris, the vulgar or European otter; the Lutra Canadensis, or Canada otter; the Lutra Braziliensis, or the South American otter; and the Lutra marina, or sea otter. The first, or European otter, has six upper and six lower incisors; two upper and two lower canines; ten upper and ten lower molars; head large and flattened; ears short; body long; low upon the legs; toes webbed; nails crooked; tail long, flattened horizontally. It feeds on fish, frogs, and water-rats, and the tender branches of aquatic trees and new grass. The Canada otter is larger than the European. It always seeks those brooks and rivers which are not often frozen in winter. If pursued, it will defend itself with great obstinacy. The furs of otters are used for all the purposes for which furs are ordinarily employed. Their skins are used for covering pistols, regimental caps, segar cases, &c. The Indians eat their flesh.

The annexed cut represents an Otter Hunt. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth, this was a very fashionable amusement of the young nobility. The otters are hunted with hounds and hunting dogs, but the sport in Europe is not now what it once was. The sport of hunting otter in South America is described by a recent traveller in the following language.

"In the month of May, the parties assemble by previous arrangement, composed chiefly of the principal inhabitants and their relatives and clans, and visiters, male slaves, muleteers, &c. Having ascended the water-falls, they encamp near those clear and transparent rivers in which otters abound. After the business of physicking 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 of handles made of rough, light wood, about ten feet in length, they cheer on the bloodhounds, who no sooner mind the prey, than they join chorus with their huntsmen, until they arrive near the Calle Pero, or Otter City, when the land party divides into three; one watches, another ascends the flood, 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."

The Sea Otter is a perfectly harmless and very playful animal. They pair, and are said to be more faithful to each other than most animals, not excepting even man.

TO JOHN QUINCY ADAMS,

On his Speech in the House of the United States, on the 2d of January, 1846, recommending the seizure of the Oregon Territory.

BY CHARLES MACKAY.

Quincy Adams, Quincy Adams,
English hearts are pained to see,

Such a burst of foolish passion

In an ancient man like thee.

Though they scorn thee not, nor hate thee,

Yet they pity, and deplore,

That when Age has cooled thy pulses,

Wisdom has not taught thee more.

Quincy Adams, Quincy Adams,

Cling to Right whate'er it cost;

Plunder never pays a nation

For the honor it has lost.

Thou shouldst know it-thou shouldst teach it,

That with Many as with One,

Evil gains are daily curses,

Fruits to wither in the sun.

Quincy Adams, Quincy Adams,

If from no desire of spoil,

But from honest misconviction

You and yours have bred this broil,

Let a congress of the nation,

Men of honor, firm and true,
Hear the claim and give decision
Fairly betwixt us and you.

Quincy Adams, Quincy Adams,
Men will think, whate'er you say,
If, when urged to this solution,
You persist in answering, Nay,
That your code is like the robber's,
Force, not Right, to win the prize}

That your quarrel is not honest,
And your logic built on lies

Quincy Adams, Quincy Adams,
Trust us English. Take our word,
"Tis not fear-or debt-or weakness,
Makes us loth to draw the sword.
Though 'tis bad to lose a battle,
'Tis not perfect good to win;
We have learned a useful lesson-
Both are bad. We'll not begin.

Quincy Adams, Quincy Adams,

We could work you fearful woe;
But what pleasure could it give us,
Though we crushed you at a blow?
We
We are elder-you are younger-
We the man, and you the boy;
And we'd rather clothe than fight you,
Rather cherish than destroy.

Quincy Adams, Quincy Adams,

War has lessons thou shouldst con;
Think upon them-use thy reason-
Arbitrate for Oregon.

If you will dispute-so be it,

We'll be ready ere the time:
But, Old Man, to death descending,
Weigh the sorrow, weigh the crime.

Quincy Adams, Quincy Adams,
Think that thou hast done thy best,
To enkindle wrath and ruin,
Ere thou sinkest to thy rest.
Think that millions of thy fellows
May have cause to curse thy name
Quincy Adams, take our offer,

And retract-retract for shame.

[English paper.

Popular Miscellany.

"I AM GLAD TO SEE YOU."-There are more lies contained in these few words than in all the written speeches of a law shop, and yet the expression is on the tip-end of almost every one's tongue. Take an instance :-Madam has pickles or sausages to make, and is up to her ears in pots and kettles, when Mrs. Somebody enters with her six little ones, all dressed off as neatly as if they had just been for six months imprisoned in a band-box. "Bless me! I'm extremely glad to see you." It's a whapperit's a downright lie. In her heart she wishes her and all her brood. When we hear a person say, "Do call again and

see me," it sounds much like, "John, show the gentleman out." There is no such thing as politeness. To be what the fashionable world terms " polite," we must necessarily be a hypocrite. The true characteristic of sincerity is bluntness.

We took the above from an exchange, and have inserted it because it so much resembles an incident which we witnessed some years since. Two young gentlemen, it being their college vacation, had called on a family of their acquaintance to have a social chat. A carriage drove up to the door, and Miss one of the young ladies of which there were three in the family, looking out at the window, exclaimed, Oh! old Mrs. has come. I wonder what has sent that old creature here with her young ones! But no sooner did she enter the door, than a terrible time of "How d'ye do," I am very glad to see you-how could you stay away so long? &c. &c. all of which ended with kissing each child with a double smack.

PAUPER NECESSARIES. In the statement of expenditures at the New York Alms House from June to December 31, 1845, the following items appear:

Subscription to Newspapers
Tobacco and Snuff

Wine, Brandy and Beer for Hospital

Tea

Spices

This beats the "stationary" expenses of Congress out and out, says the Boston Journal.

We think it not strange that it used to cost our fathers so much to support the poor. poor. If tobacco, snuff, wine, brandy, beer, tea, and spices are all useless, how much ought honest temperate people to pay for the support of pauperism in these days?

NOT GIVEN TO CHANGE. A gentleman of York has this week paid the fifty-second annual subscription to our paper, having been regularly taken in his family for that number of years. We have other subscriptions of as long standing, which are paid as punctually. The fact is well established that no subscribers are so well satisfied, and so permanent, as those who pay their subscriptions annually-and none read a paper with more gratification, than those who pay in advance.-Portsmouth Journal. La Roy Sunderland says, "surely the age of Tractors is not past." We know not who has better reason to say so.

SHAVING. The N. Y. Courier says that Messrs. French & Helser, proprietors of the Castle Garden, New York, soon after the great fire in that city, presented the very moderate bill of $2750 for furnishing refreshments to the firemen on that occa