44 HAUNTS AND HOBBIES 



I now became very interested. The otter continued 

 to advance ; it was most pretty to watch his move- 

 ments. He crept along with the utmost caution, 

 evidently quite unaware that I was observing him. 

 Every few paces he paused, raised his head, and looked 

 around, as if to make sure that no danger threatened. 

 He presently came on till he was nearly opposite where 

 I was seated. I was wondering where he would go, 

 and what was his object, when something appeared to 

 alarm him. He stopped, raised his head, gave a sharp 

 glance behind, and then made a plunge into the 

 stream, and was out of sight below the surface in an 

 instant. 



I sat regretting his departure, when, to my delight, 

 in a minute or two he reappeared, and now on my 

 side of the stream, and immediately below me. He 

 had also altered his course, and was proceeding down- 

 wards. On account of the bank, I could not now so 

 well observe him, but I caught occasional glimpses of 

 him, proceeding always in the same slow, cautious 

 manner as before. At length he reached a place where 

 the bank projected. He went round the projection, 

 and I saw him no more. I waited a few minutes, but 

 he did not return, and then I left to take my evening 

 drive. 



The next morning I came across some old acquaint- 

 ances in the shape of a species of ant, termed by the 

 natives the " burtunga." I had known these ants very 

 well at former stations, but had not as yet met them 

 here. This is one of the largest of the Indian ants, 

 and it appears even larger than it is from its standing 



