OF HARTING. 239 



followed, then, that in all his games with Don the 

 white-tipped tail was the constant object of his atten- 

 tion. Don, taught by experience, would take especial 

 pains to guard it against the otter's playful attacks, 

 and the antics of the two, whenever they joined issue 

 on this trying question, were for a long time ludicrous 

 beyond description. At last the otter whose teeth 

 were decidedly sharp, and whose notions of fair play 

 were somewhat hazy, would succeed in getting the un- 

 fortunate tail in his mouth and making a very painful 

 impression upon it. Don would instantly resent this, 

 and the game was at an end for a time, but only for a 

 time ; after brooding a few minutes over their mutual 

 punishment they would resume their playful exercise, 

 and continue it till another successful attempt on the 

 white tip brought it again to an abrupt close." 



This young otter was an expert climber, and he 

 never neglected an opportunity of exercising his skill 

 in this way on the legs of any one he came in contact 

 with, especially if said legs were encased in white 

 stockings. On one occasion he had been fishing for 

 his master in the Meuse, when a number of young 

 school boys, who were out for exercise, were attracted 

 by his appearance and stopped to watch him. One of 

 them, unfortunately for himself, displayed an unwonted 

 interval of white stocking between his shoes and the 

 lower extremities of his nether garments, which he 

 appeared to have considerably outgrown ; this pheno- 

 menon caught the quick eye of the otter, who instantly 

 dashed off with sportive intent towards the poor lad. 

 The latter in the greatest alarm took to his heels and 

 an exciting race between the two ensued ; but it 

 proved to be a very unequal one, and the owner of 

 the otter was eventually obliged to interfere and 

 rescue the white stockings from the muddy paws of 

 his playful pet. If, at any future period of his ex- 

 istence, this youth should undertake to write the 

 natural history of Lutra vulgaris, it may safely be 



