Curious Fa& refpedting the Otier. 413 
14. Every letter, whether large or fmall, marked with a 
figure followed by a zero, makes known that the decrement 
indicated by this figure has no effect on the angle or edge 
to which that letter belongs. 
X. Curious Faéi ref[peéting the Natural Hifiory of the Otter. 
- By C. PotssonnieERr, Juflice of Peace of the Canton of 
Bonnat, Department of la Creuze. From Le Moniteur 
Univerfel, Nivofe'21, An. VII. : 
I HAD confidered as a fable what Father Vaniere fays, in, 
the fifteenth book of his poem called Predium Rufticum, in 
regard to an otter which he had tamed to fuch a degree that 
it would plunge before his eyes into a canal of valt extent, 
and bring to him with great fidelity the prey it had caught. 
From the accounts I had read in the works of different 
naturalifts, I believed that this animal was of a nature fo 
ferocious that it was no way fufceptible of being tamed; 
but Iam now convinced of the contrary... Having procured 
a young otter in the month of Germinal! laft, it has fully 
repaid all the care and attention I beftowed on it; for, it 
goes regularly every morning to take a turn on the banks.of 
the {mall river Creuze, which runs at the diftance of about 
a lundred paces from my habitation, and. feldom returns 
without bringing me a fith full alive, To whatever diftance 
it goes, it always returns with the utmoft punctuality, to the 
fmall kennel which I have conftructed for it. 
Tt has been faid alfo that this animal is amphibious, but 
i have found the contrary to be the cafe. My otter never 
plunges into the water but to catch its-prey, and it returns 
as {peedily as poflible to the banks, where it fhakes. itfelf 
like a fmall water-fpaniel. If-it is obliged to. remain under 
water for any Jength of time, it raifes its head in order to 
.. breathe; from which I conclude that the otter fwims better 
‘than other animals; but is not amphibious, fince it cannot 
“ jive under water above half an hour. y709h 
* XI, Letters 
