124 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS. 



whom we waste and persecute to death, for no cause 

 but the gratification of our cruelty, might, by reason- 

 able treatment, be made the source of abundant amuse- 

 ment and advantage to us." 



The affection of these animals for their offspring is 

 indisputable. Professor Steller says, " Often have I 

 spared the lives of the female otters, whose young 

 ones I took away. They expressed their sorrow by 

 crying like human beings, and followed me as I was 

 carrying off their young, while they called to them for 

 aid, with a tone of voice very much resembling the cry 

 of children. When I sat down in the snow, they came 

 quite close to me, and attempted to carry off their 

 young. 



" On one occasion, when I had deprived an otter of 

 her progeny, I returned to the place eight days after, 

 and found the female sitting by the river, listless and 

 desponding; she suffered me to kill her on the spot, 

 without making any attempt to escape. On skinning 

 her, I found she had quite wasted away from sorrow 

 for the loss of her young. 



" Another time, I saw at some distance from me an 

 old female otter sleeping by the side of a young one 

 about a year old. As soon as the mother perceived us, 

 she awoke the young one, and enticed him to betake 



