18-i 



the warning prelude of an unpleasant application of their teeth, most 

 commonly to the bare hand, which they manage to rench by standing 

 erect on their hind legs. 



As I have before remarked, tame otters are remarkably fond of 

 dogs of every kind. They seem also to possess the power of exercis- 

 ing a strange fascination over the whole canine race. The conditions 

 are as follows. When a tame otter meets with a strange dog it advances 

 quietly and insinuatingly towards it with a singular serpent-like motion 

 of the head and neck. When close enough the otter endeavoi\s to 

 smell the nose of the stranger. If the dog nntlergoes this operation 

 quietly for half a minute it is conquered and immediately tiansformed 

 into a friend, no matter how hostile or uncertain its first intentions 

 may have been. 1 have seen an Irish water spaniel eiglit years of age 

 playing around the yard for liours with one of my pet otters in a 

 friendly manner that nothing could induce him, at such an age, to 

 assume towards one of his own species. This mesmeric power of the 

 otter, so far as I know, is a new idea for zoological students, which is 

 no less strange than true. It is a species of animal magnetism which 

 I have frequently seen exercised with unfailing influence and certainty. 

 Another fact may be worth relating. As they sometimes do with 

 members of the human race, I have never seen tame otters manifest 

 any dislike at first .siglit to dogs; and never that T have authentically 

 been able to leain, do they show any disposition to quarrel or fight 

 with dogs unless first attacked ; and then " the tug of war " requir<-s a 

 Spartan in the canine foe. In such a case, even with dogs, their appar- 

 ent affinity, they become bitter, unrelenting and revengeful, until they 

 have taken vengeance upon their assailants, after which they are 

 always quite willing to establish friendly relations with tlieir antago- 

 nists. 



With very little trouble I taught both of my tima otter.-!, '• Poa- 

 tiac " and "Pocahontas" to fetch from water; H,t which accomplish- 

 ment, for quickness, no dog was a mitch for them. Vheir mode of 

 fetching was entirely different from that |)racticed by dogs. They 

 plunged inider water and reappeared at the exact spot where the object 

 thrown out iov them to fetch floated, whicli they seizid and brought 

 under water to the shore. With a [persistent system of instruction. 



