APPENDIX B. 



367 



Topsy, however, always brought her eels or trout toioards her master, 

 and I certainly do not remember ever seeing her land with an eel or 

 a trout upon the opposite bank. 



In 1861 this tame Otter was sold by its master in Stirling ; and as I 

 learned at the time, passed afterwards into the hands of the late Duke 

 of AthoU, who at that time also was credited very generally as the 

 possessor of "a pack of tame Otters" or, "a number of tame Otters,'' 

 This current belief took very general hold, and even quite of recent 

 years — even as late as July 1906 — I have heard the belief related; and 

 until as late as the date named I myself was under that generaUy 

 accepted impression. 



Desiring, however, to " mak' siccar," as well as to obtain more minute 

 particulars. I addressed myself to Mr. Forbes, the factor at Blair AthoU, 

 and he handed on my letter to His Grace, the present Duke, and from 

 the latter I received the assurance that Topsy, " which the late Duke, 

 my father, bought from one J. Graham, a lath-splitter in Stirling, in 

 October 1861," was the only one so kept. "The Duke was told it 

 would catch fish and bring them out to its master, but it would do 

 nothing of the kind at Blair. Neither was it over-tame, as it bit several 

 people severely." And, continues His Grace (in lit., August 3, 1906), 

 " I fancy it died that winter." Then ffis Grace goes on to say : " Some- 

 time before that one of the keepers at Blair had an Otter for a short 

 time," and '* that is aU the information to be had on the subject." His 

 Grace also mentions incidentally, when speaking of the purchase of the 

 animal, that its name then was Topsy, but whether this was the original 

 possessor's name for it, or was given to it subsequently, I do not know, 

 and I find no notes in my oldest journals which give its name.^ 



Since then I have had several young Otters here, but they were 

 never very tame, though not to be called wild or timid. The latest 

 I had died of distemper. It had become fairly familiar with my butler 

 who tended it, but to others it was always shy and reserved. It was 

 never at liberty entirely, having a large den extemjx)rised of spars and 

 wire-netting, and dry inner chamber with big bath under the tap in the 

 court behind the house. At times it was very frolicsome, playing with 



^ I find my earliest journals were commenced in ISoO, and they have been continued 

 since down to date. It was previous to the above early date that I used to see Gleig and 

 his Otter. As shown above, it was sold first into Stirling, and finally to the Duke of 

 Atholl in October 1861. My impression always had been that Gleig sold it to Messrs. 

 MaUoch, gunmakers, Stirling, and that they sold it to the Duke for the sum of £7 or 

 guineas, or to his agents, but no doubt the account given above in the text will 

 prove to be the more exact relation. 



