Flesh-Eating Land Mammals 



exploring the rocky shore of Forfarshire, and observed 

 an Otter upon a large flat stone quite a hundred yards 

 from the water's edge. On observing me, it slid over 

 the stone and instantly disappeared. Going direct 

 to the place, I found evidences of the animal, and 

 decided on trapping it if I could. Returning the 

 following day with an ordinary rat-trap with an iron 

 chain attached, I placed this in the crevice where I 

 thought the animal lodged. I utilized no bait of any 

 kind, relying solely upon the hidden trap for the 

 capture of the animal. Allowing a couple of days to 

 intervene, I then visited the spot. My trap and chain 

 had mysteriously disappeared. The boulders were too 

 heavy to move from their places, and I had almost 

 given up hope of finding either my property or the 

 Otter, and had turned homewards rather disappointed 

 and dejected. As I did so, my eye caught sight of one 

 of the chain-rings pressed firmly against the adjacent 

 rock. For a time I worked hard to dislodge this from 

 its place, and would assuredly have failed had not a 

 passing fisherman lent his assistance. The result was 

 we pulled the dead Otter from the inner recesses of 

 the cairn, and I carried the quadruped landwards. 

 I hid the carcass in some benty grasses, intending 

 to remove it later in the day ; but on my return to 

 the spot I discovered some stray dog had mauled the 

 carcass beyond recognition. 



My second Otter I found under entirely different 

 circumstances. While snipe-shooting along the banks 



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