ON THE BREEDING OF THE OTTER. 203 



would not allow them. Presently, one of the cubs having become 

 very refractory, the old Otter seized it by the side of the neck, 

 carried it to the tank, and gave it a thorough ducking, and thence 

 straight back to bed, where, after another short demonstration of 

 independence, it subsided. On the 12th one of the cubs when 

 out, being frightened at an accidental noise, plunged without 

 hesitation into the tank, and swam across nearly all the way 

 under water. 



On the morning of December 13th, on my feeding the old 

 Otter while the cubs wei'e out with her, she took two small roach 

 to them, and tried to make them eat, taking first one fish, then 

 the other, then both together in her mouth, and moving them 

 about close in front of the cubs to attract their attention, at the 

 same time uttering a peculiar whine or growl, or something 

 between the two, which sounded ferocious. This she continued 

 to do every day up to January 15th. On this first occasion, 

 though thej' occasionally gnawed at the fish, the}- appeared to get 

 nothing off. 



On December 28th I turned out the cubs to exhibit : they had 

 now become shy, and bit fiercely. On the 31st, about 11.15 p.m., 

 I found the cubs out, and calling, as if hungry ; so I gave them a 

 supply of food, which they appeared to appreciate. They con- 

 tinued from that date to expect some food the last thing each 

 night, in addition to a meal about 6 p.m. About the same date 

 they began to eat a little the first thing in the morning ; but 

 would lie up all through the day, and the mother, when fed at 

 other times than those specified, made no attempt to induce 

 them to eat. 



On January 25th they came out an hour earlier than usual 

 (5 p.m.) ; and continued gradually to come out earlier, until 

 February 20th, when they were out as early as 2.20 p.m. 



I could not satisfy myself as to how long they suckled, but 

 believe they continued to do so all through the sj>ring — of course 

 in addition to a more solid diet. 



I parted with one of the cubs in June, for " a good con- 

 sideration," they being by that time nearly full-grown. Early in 

 July I went abroad, and on my return, at the end of September, 

 I found the remaining cub quite full-grown, and was told that 

 she had been in season during my absence — probably during 

 August, or when she was ten months old. 



