'346 ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE. 



carried off without the slightest attention in their behalf from 

 their guardian. 



*♦*♦** 



Early in August (8th) the pups that are nearest the water on 

 the rookeries essay swimming, but make slow and clumsy pro- 

 gress, floundering about, when over head in depth, in the most 

 awkward manner, thrashing the water with their fore-flippers, 

 not using the hinder ones. In a few seconds, or a minute at the 

 most, the youngest is so wary that he crawls out upon the rocks 

 or beach, and immediately takes a recuperative nap, repeating 

 the lesson as quick as he awakes and is rested. They soon get 

 familiar with the water and delight in it, swimming in endless 

 evolutions, twisting, turning, diving ; and when exhausted, they 

 draw up on the beach again, shake themselves as young dogs 

 do, either going to sleep on the spot, or having a lazy frolic 

 among themselves. 



In this matter of learning to swim, I have not seen any 

 ' driving ' of the young pups into the water by the old in order 

 to teach them this process, as has been affirmed by writers on 

 the subject of seal life. 



Otter. — The fact that otters admit of being taught to 

 catch fish and bring them to their masters, shows no 

 small degree of docility on the part of these animals. ' I 

 have seen,' says Dr. Groldsmith, ' an otter go to a gentle- 

 man's pond at word of command, drive the fish into a 

 comer, and, seizing upon the largest of the whole, bring 

 it off in his mouth to his master.' And several other cases 

 of the same kind are given by Bingley.^ 



Weasel. — ' Mdlle. de Faister described her tame weasel 

 to Buffon as playing with her fingers like a kitten, jump- 

 ing on her head and neck ; and if she presented her hands 

 at the distance of three feet, it jumped into them without 

 ever missing. It distinguished her voice amidst twenty 

 people, and sprang over everybody to get at her. She found 

 it impossible to open a drawer or a box, or even to look 

 at a paper, without his examining it also. If she took up 

 a paper or book, and looked attentively at it, the weasel 

 immediately ran upon her hand, and surveyed with an in- 

 quisitive air whatever she happened to hold.' ^ 



* Animal Biography, vol. iii., pp. 301-2, 

 ^ Thompson, Passions in Animals, p. 337. 



