232 The Canadian Otter. 



Auother, kept at Crosbie House, "Wigtonshire, evinced a great fondness for 

 gooseberries, fondled about her keeper's feet like a pup or kitten, and even 

 seemed inclined to salute her cheek when permitted to carry her freedom so 

 far. A third belonging to Mr. Monteith, of Carstairs, was also very tame, 

 and though he frequently stole away at night to fish by the pale light of the 

 moon and associate with his kindi-ed by the river side ; his master was, of 

 course, too generous to find any fault with his peculiar mode of spending his 

 evening houi's. In the morning he was always at his post in the kennel, and 

 no animal understood better the secret of keeping his own side of the house. 

 Indeed his pugnacity in this respect gave him a great life in the favour of 

 the gamekeeper, who talked of his feats wherever he went, and avowed 

 besides, that if the best cur that ever ran ' only daured to grin' at his protege, 

 be would soon ' mak his teeth meet through him.' To mankind, however, 

 he was much more civil, and allowed himself to be gently lifted by the tail, 

 though he objected to any interference with his snout, which is probably 

 with him the seat of honour." * 



Audubon on two occasions domesticated tlie Canada Otter. He states 

 " The individuals had been captured quite young, and in the space of two or 

 three days became as tame and gentle as the young of the domestic dog. — 

 They preferred milk and boiled corn meal, and refused to eat fish or meat of 

 any kind until they were several months old. They became so attached to 

 us, that at the moment of their entrance into our study they commenced 

 crawling into our lap — mounting our table, romping among the books and 

 writing materials, and not unfrequently upsettmg our inkstand, and disar- 

 ranging the papers." 



He has also seen them amusing themselves at their shdes, and says, 

 " The Otters ascend the bank at a place suitable for their diversion, and 

 sometimes where it is very steep, so that they are obliged to make quite an 

 effort to gain the top ; they slide down in rapid succession where there are 

 many at a sliding place. On one occasion we were resting ourselves on the 

 bank of Canoe Creek, a small stream near Henderson, which empties into the 

 Ohio, when a pair of Otters made their appearance, and not observing our 

 proximity, began to enjoy their sliding pastime. They glide down the soap- 

 like muddy surface of the slide with the rapidity of an arrow from a bow, 

 and we counted each one making twenty-two slides before we disturbed their 

 sportive occupation." This habit of the Otter of sliding down from elevated 

 places to the borders of streams is not confined to cold countries, or to slides 

 on the snow or ice, but is pursued in the Southern States where the earth is 

 seldom covered with snow, or the waters frozen over. Along the reserve 

 dams of the rice fields of Carolina and Georgia, these slides are very 

 common. ^ 



The fur of the Otter is highly esteemed by manufacturers, and a good 

 ekin is worth from six to ten dollars, according to size and fluctuation of 

 the market. 



* English Encyclopaedia, vol. 3, page 554. 



* Audubon & Bachman, vol. 2, page 8. 



