94 THE 4GOOLOGIST. 
round in circles, as though looking for something, and at the 
same moment there rose about five yards above them a full- 
grown Otter, to which they hurried with great excitement, 
emitting as they swam a soft, low, whistling sound, no doubt 
of pleasure. This evidently was one of their parents. But the 
fun had not finished yet. On reaching its side they were fondly 
caressed, and then began a game something after what we in our 
childhood used to call ‘‘ king of the castle.” First one cub 
would creep on to the parent’s back, only, however, to be pushed 
off by its mate, and vice versa—the large Otter now and again, 
when the game got too troublesome, sinking slowly under water, 
submerging the whole of the players. This continued for some 
few moments, when by a sudden slipping of my foot their notice 
was attracted, and before you could say one they had all dis- 
appeared ; but by my experienced eye I hit the ‘‘ chain ” of the 
big one as it dived across the pool, and also that of the cubs— 
in much smaller globules, of course—as they made the nearer 
bank. 
However, though so affectionate to its offspring in their early 
youth, as soon as they get old enough to take their own part in 
life their fondness seems to disappear, and both their father 
and mother become their bitterest enemies. Naturally a river, 
or portion of a river—and no doubt Otters have their own little 
kingdoms—will not supply above a certain amount of sustenance, 
and therefore, as soon as their young begin to want their fishy 
food, they are driven away to seek their living in fresh pastures. 
Generally they go down stream, and continue, if the lower 
sections are occupied by other Otters, to the estuaries, where 
they live on Plaice, Dabs, and no doubt Conger, when they are 
in luck; and from evidence I possess are often taken for Seals, 
for they sometimes occupy the caves on the coast, as I found on 
examination in those under the bold headlands at Tintagel. 
Should:a dog or bitch Otter meet with an untimely end, though 
even many miles from the mouth of a river, in a few weeks, or 
even sometimes days, the survivor will be joined by another of 
the sex required, and if the new-comer should have the bad luck 
to be killed before its comrade with which it has connected its 
fortunes, it will be found to be younger than the one previously 
despatched. From experience I should say that they are driven 
