76 ANIMAL LIFE UNDER WATER 



tolerated our entrance into the enclosure, and 

 would take food from the hand, but was always 

 surly in demeanour. The manner in which an 

 understanding first came about between us was 

 as follows : 



The old dog was lying near the iron bars of 

 the enclosure when I detected numerous large 

 white tics on the back of his neck, so I scratched 

 the skin with a stick through the bars. This he 

 thoroughly appreciated, and when I entered the 

 enclosure he allowed me to continue the scratch- 

 ing. The next day I gradually shortened my 

 hold on the stick until, finally, I was allowed to 

 scratch with my fingers. For several days I 

 continued at intervals to scratch in this manner, 

 and occasionally I picked off a tic until, at 

 length, they were all removed. After this he 

 would usually allow his neck to be rubbed, but 

 immediately resented an attempt to touch any 

 other part of his body. 



Otters taken as cubs are very easily tamed, 

 and make delightful pets, but when two years 

 old the " call of the wild " will be too strong for 

 the animal, and, if free, it will go. 



I have already described how the mother and 

 her cubs work together when on a fishing excur- 



