336 The Tame Otter. CHAP. xxn. 



frogs are more expensive than sardines ! ! But then veracity compels 

 me to admit that the price of fresh sardines is here from 300 to 600 for 

 an anna, say Anglice from 200 to 400 for a penny. For the present I 

 confine my little otters to frogs, as the only meat diet besides their 

 " cunjee " or pap ; for I lost an otter by letting them take too early to fish. 

 When they are old enough to cost me no more anxiety in re diet, I 

 must try to find out by experiment whether they prefer fishes or frogs, 

 and how much of each they voluntarily eat. It is beyond a doubt that 

 otters are useful, in destroying frogs, which are again great eaters of fry 

 certainly, and I think of spawn too ; but the question is whether the 

 good they do in this way preponderates over the havoc they commit on 

 fish. The weight of general opinion is against the otter ; but what of 

 that, who has not been misjudged? He has a staunch friend above 

 quoted, and he is certainly entitled to an impartial trial. 



I have been asked to say what became of my otters. They grew, 

 and their numbers were added to, and they had a dog-boy all to 

 themselves, and went out walking with him, answering to his call and 

 following him, and playing round him, the admiration and amusement 

 of many, as they went out for their daily walks. But I could not give 

 them as much personal attention as an experiment of this sort requires, 

 and I had to be away on circuit for months at a time, and coming back, 

 found my personal intervention resented, and the dog-boy's authority 

 lapsing. In an evil moment I added to their number an otter puppy 

 that had been weaned by its own mother, and had thus seen a little too 

 much of the world. This one went about with a collar and chain 

 trailing to prevent its escape. But it taught my little innocents bad 

 ways, till, having established the leadership of age, it one day gave a 

 shrill whistle, which was a call to the others to follow, and dashed into 

 a well. All followed, and all were entangled in the chain, and all were 

 drowned together. It would have been better if I had tried a single 

 otter, with only dog companions to help in its education ; and it is 

 useless to attempt such a task by native proxy as I did ; you must be 

 able to give much personal attention, and to bring up the animal almost 

 entirely in your own company, and have him much alone with you. 

 Numbers are against you. 



