WEASELS, OTTERS AND BADGERS. K4i

it with attention.” This weasel lived on friendly terms with
both a cat and a dog who shared his mistress’ favours. That
the weasel can defend himself when attacked is shown
by the following incident told by Mr. Bell: “ As a gentleman
was riding over his grounds, he saw, at a short distance from
him, a kite pounce on some object on the ground, and rise
with it in his talons. In a few moments, however, the kite
began to show signs of great uneasiness, rising rapidly in the
air, or as quickly falling, and wheeling irregularly round, whilst
evidently endeavouring to free himself from some obnoxious
thing with his feet. After a short but sharp contest, the
kite fell suddenly to the earth. The gentleman instantly rode
up to the spot, when a weasel ran away from the kite, ap-
parently unhurt, leaving the bird dead, with a hole eaten
through the skin under the wing, and the large blood-vessels
of the part torn through.” The length of the common weasel
is about eight inches.
The Common There are several genera of Otters. The common
Otter. otter (Lutra vulgaris) is known throughout Europe
and is not uncommon in Great Britain. The otter lives
on fish, for the hunting of which he is admirably fitted. He
is web-footed and has a body of great flexibility and short
but remarkably muscular legs. The Otter was looked upon
as a friend by the peasants living near salmon preserves years
ago, for after landing his prey he was content with but a
small portion for himself, and left the rest which the peasants
readily appropriated.

“Otters,” says Mr. St. John, “are very affectionate animals;
the young anxiously seek their mother if she should be killed;
and if the young are injured, the parent hovers near them till
she is herself destroyed. If one of a pair be killed, the one that
is left will hunt for its mate with untiring perseverance; and if
one be caught in a trap, its companion will run round and round,
endeavouring to set it free, on which occasions, though so quiet
at other times, they make a snorting and blowing like a horse.”