TIIE OTTER. 
459 
It swims as fast as a fish, generally horizon¬ 
tally under the surface of the water, and can 
remain immersed a long time without in¬ 
convenience. When it catches a fish, it 
brings its prey to land to devour it, which 
it does from the shoulders down, leaving 
the head and tail. The otter has been 
tamed and taught to fish for its master; and 
Bishop Heber in his travels saw quite a 
number of tame otters which were em¬ 
ployed to drive fish into the nets. They 
were fastened by strings and collars to 
stakes in the river-bank, and seemed to 
enjoy their lives amazingly. The otter 
becomes very much attached to those that 
treat it with kindness, but greatly resents 
any liberties taken with it by the inferior 
animals. Contrary to the habit of most 
quadrupeds, it has no objection to being 
lifted by the tail, but does not like to have 
its nose meddled with. The sea-otter is 
larger than the land-otter, being about four 
feet in length. It is clothed entirely in fine, 
deep, glossy fur of a chestnut colour, except 
the head, which is often white. It is a very 
bold swimmer, troops of them having been 
seen three hundred miles out at sea, and 
