200 THE COMMON OTTER. 



This exercise ought to be continued till it will 

 seize the truss on the slightest motion of the cord. 

 The next part of its education is to teach it to de- 

 liver the truss into the hand of its master. When 

 the animal has the truss in its mouth, its master is 

 to draw it gently towards him by the cord affixed^ 

 to its collar, and then taking hold of the truss, is 

 to say, " loose it." After this exercise has been 

 continued for a few days, and the animal will come 

 to its master when called, seize the truss when 

 commanded, run after it when thrown before, 

 bring it to its master, and, when ordered, give it 

 up to him some food, a piece of bread, for in- 

 stance, is to be thrown down, and he is to be 

 taught to bring and deliver up that in the same man- 

 ner, without injuring it. The last part of this ope- 

 ration is to take him to the edge of a river or stream, 

 of which the water is clear and not deep. Throwing 

 a small dead fish into the water, the Otter will rea- 

 dily seize it, and, by means of the cord affixed to 

 the collar, may be made to bring it out, and de- 

 liver it to his master. The same is done with 

 live fish ; but as soon as he delivers these, he is to 

 have the heads as a recompence for his trouble. , 



This kind of chase has, in some instances, been 

 so well taught, that the owner of an Otter has de- 

 rived very considerable benefit from it. An in- 

 habitant of Christianstadt, in Sweden, of the name 

 of Nillson, was daily supplied by an Otter with as 



much 



