206 Domestic Otters. Chapt. xv. 



'water to its master. Daniel, Bewick, Shaw record in- 



'stances of the animal's docility in this way. Mr. Bell and 



'Mr. Macgillivray both corroborate the fact. The latter 



'has collected the following anecdotes: — 'Mr. M'Diafmid, 



"in his amusing 'Sketches from Nature,' gives an ac- 



' 'count of several domesticated otters, one of which be- 



' 'longing to a poor widow, when led forth plunged into 



' 'the Urr, or the neighbouring burns, and brought out all 



' 'the fish it could find. Another, kept at Corsbie house, 



' 'Wigtonshire, evinced a great fondness for gooseberries, 



' 'fondled about her keeper's feet like a pup or kitten, and 



' 'even seemed inclined to salute her cheek, when permit- 



' 'ted to carry her freedoms so far. A third, belonging 



' 'to Mr. Monteith of Carstairs, was also very tame, and 



' 'though he frequently stole away at night to fish by the 



' 'pale light of the moon, and associate with his kindred 



' 'by the riverside, his master, of course, was too gene- 



' 'rous to find any fault with his peculiar mode of spend- 



' 'ing his evening hours. In Ae morning he was always 



1 'at his post in the kennel, and no animal understood 



' 'better the secret of keeping his own side of the house. 



' 'Indeed his pugnacity in this respect gave him a great 



'lift in the favor of the game-keeper, who talked of his 



'feats wherever he went, and avowed besides, that if the 



'best cur that ever ran 'only daured to girn' at his pro- 



'tege, he would soon 'mak his teeth meet through him.' 



'To mankind however he was much more civil, and allow- 



'ed himself to be gently lifted by the tail, though he 



'objected to any interference with his snout, which is 



