Short Papers and Notes. I05 
protects his body in a different way. Anyone who has seen a 
water-rat come up on a bank after a dive will have a good idea of 
the general appearance of the otter’s fur. Now he gives his coat 
a shake and combs his fur a bit with his short, webbed feet. 
That powerful tail of his hangs half out of the water, and his 
head is turned in my direction, looking for the moment just like 
that of an infuriated tiger in miniature, as, with ears drawn close 
to his head, he snarls and shows his teeth. When properly 
treated, the otter is easily converted into an affectionate and 
playful pet. For those who may not be familiar with him, let me 
describe his appearance more exactly. He is a trifle larger than a 
cat, having a very similar head, only flatter, which is provided 
with a fine set of teeth, and he can use them with terrible force 
for his size. On his lip he has a lot of strong bristles. His eyes 
are small and have a watchful look about them; the neck is 
almost as thick as his chest; his body is long and round; the 
legs are very short, strong, and flexible; the toes webbed for a 
great part of their length, and the claws on them sharp. The tail 
is thick at the root, and tapers off to a point. It is very powerful, 
as I said before, and is, in fact, his swimming machine. In colour 
he is dark brown as a rule, with the sides of his head and throat 
brownish grey. He has been sitting in the sunlight whilst I have 
sketched his portrait ; now he thinks he will get a little more into 
the shade, so, with a peculiar loping gait, he moves further up the 
trunk and rests by the side of a Jarge limb. Now he shows him- 
self to perfection, and I have managed to slip down on the boards 
of the weir, where I lie, flat as a flounder, and can study the 
animal, where an animal shows himself most naturally, in his own 
home. There is just a little swell in the water, and his mate 
shows her head above the surface. She has her feet on the 
trunk, and is just about to join her lord and master, when a 
moorhen flies from the meadow into the river, squattering with her 
feet in the water. That is enough; with one gliding plunge, 
leaving not a trace on the surface, they are under the bank in 
their own quarters.— Cornhill Magazine. 
Srgrowing Toe=Wail. 
Begin the cure by simple application to the tender part of a 
small quantity of perchloride of iron, which can be readily pro- 
cured at the druggist’s. The tender flesh is dried and tanned by 
this application and ceases to be painful. When this hardened 
flesh has remained on two or three weeks, it can be easily removed 
by soaking in warm water. Further trouble can only be prevented 
by cutting the nails to proper shape and wearing shoes of reason- 
able size.—Scentifjic American. 
