830 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



tobogganing down a steep hill, preferably into the water, to 

 remount at once and repeat the performance again and again, 

 in company, perhaps, with its mate or young. 



It is delightful proof of growth and uplift when we find 

 an adult animal setting aside a portion of its time and effort 

 for amusement, and especially for social amusement. A large 

 number of the noblest animals thus relax from sordid life and 

 pursue amusement with time and appliances after a fashion 

 that finds its highest development in man. This is what the 

 Otter is credited with doing, but there are naturalists who do 

 not consider it proven. Therefore I give the evidence in full. 



"The Otter is very fond of play, and one of their favourite 

 pastimes is to get on a high ridge of snow, bend their fore- 

 feet backward, and slide down the side of it, sometimes to the 

 distance of twenty yards. "'^ {Heame.) 



"Their favourite pastime is sliding, and for this purpose in 

 winter the highest ridge of snow is selected, to the top of which 

 the Otters scramble, where, lying on the belly with the fore- 

 feet bent backwards, they give themselves an impulse with their 

 hind-legs and swiftly glide head-foremost down the declivity, 

 sometimes for the distance of twenty yards."'" {Godman.) 



This looks like a passage borrowed from Hearne, but he 

 adds, "This sport they continue, apparently with the keenest 

 enjoyment, until fatigue or hunger induces them to desist." 



"In the summer this amusement is obtained by selecting a 

 spot where the river bank is sloping, has a clayey soil, and the 

 water at its base is of a comfortable depth. The Otters then 

 remove from the surface, for the breadth of several feet, the 

 sticks, roots, stones, and other obstructions, and render the 

 surface as level as possible. They climb up the bank at a less 

 precipitous spot and, starting from the top, slip with velocity 

 over the inclining ground and plump into the water to a depth 

 proportioned to their weight and rapidity of motion. After a 

 few slides and plunges the surface of the clay becomes very 

 smooth and slippery, and the rapid succession of the sliders 

 shows how much these animals are delighted by the game, as 



"Journey, 1792, p. 376. '"Am. Nat. Hist., 1826, Vol. I, pp. 225-6. 



