294 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



The Otter, Lutra vulgaris, Erx. 



In the summer of 18S2, Mr. J. B. Ritchie, son of Dr. 

 F. C. Ritchie of Kirktonhall, West Kilbride, captured 

 a male otter under the following circumstances. 

 When passing some bushes on the side of the 

 Kilbride Burn, which flows through the Kirktonhall 

 policies, Mr. Ritchie's attention was directed to his 

 terrier dog, which had entered the bushes and was 

 barking violently. On examining the bushes the 

 otter was at once observed, and secured by throwing 

 a hamper over its head. An attempt was made to 

 tame it in confinement, but it survived only for 

 about a week. The example appeared to be full- 

 grown, and measured 4 ft. 2 in. in length from point 

 of muzzle to tip of tail. 



On 7th February last, Messrs. John and Thomas 

 Dickie, West Kilbride, observed a female otter 

 crossing the narrow stripe of cultivated ground 

 between the rocky sea-shore and the wooded base 

 of the cliffs near North Bank, Portincross. In its 

 mouth the animal carried one of its young ; but 

 having observed that it was pursued, it dropped the 

 cub, and with apparent reluctance returned to the 

 sea. On finding itself deserted by its mother, the 

 young otter uttered a plaintive cry. In being 

 captured it appeared to have sustained some injuries, 

 from the effects of which it died shortly afterwards. 



On passing near the spot next day, Messrs. Dickie 

 met an acquaintance who described to them a re- 

 markable sound he had just heard among the rocks 

 on the sea-shore. This they at once recognised as 

 the cry of the young otter ; and suspecting that some 

 others might be concealed among the rocks, they 

 proceeded to make a careful search, with the result 

 that two cubs were observed in the act of leaving 

 the water. Two large cans with lids having been 

 obtained for their reception, one of the cubs was 

 seized by the tail, when it made a fierce attempt to 

 bite the hand of its captor, and was with some 



