The Offer. 67 



farm-yards, where he will attack the poultry, sucking- 

 pigs, and even lambs. An Otter may be tamed, and 

 taught to catch fish enough to sustain not only himself,, 

 but a whole family. Goldsmith states, that he saw 

 an Otter go to a gentleman's pond at the word of com- 

 mand, drive the fish into a corner, and seize upon the 

 largest of the whole, bring it off, and give it to his 

 master. 



Bewick, in his History of Quadrupeds, states, that a 

 person of the name of Collins, who lived at Kilmerston, 

 near Wooler, in Northumberland, had a tamo Otter, 

 which followed him wherever he went. He frequently 

 took it to fish in the river ; and, when satiated, it never 

 failed to return to him. One day, in the absence of 

 Collins, the Otter, being taken out to fish by his son, in- 

 stead of returning as usual, refused to come at the accus- 

 tomed call, and was lost. The father tried every means 

 in his power to recover the animal ; and, after several 

 days' search, being near the place where his son had 

 lost it, and calling it by name, to his inexpressible joy 

 it came creeping to his feet, and showed many marks of 

 affection and attachment. 



The female Otter produces four or five young ones at 

 a birth, and these in the spring of the year. WherQ 

 there have been ponds near a gentleman's house, in-> 

 stances have occurred of their littering in cellars or 



