NORTHUMBERLAND AND DURHAM. 151 
generally none of the weakest, can afford; at the same time he 
is elevated upon the top of a spear in the centre of the baying 
and clamorous pack and is then said to be poled. 
‘‘ The favourite place for the otter to locate his couch is in 
a deep, still part of the river, where the banks of dry sandy soil 
rise a few feet sheer from the edge of the water, which must be 
of sufficient depth against the bank at the bottom to admit of 
the mouth of his hold being quite under the surface; if trees or 
bushes clothe the surface of the bank, so much the better. The 
mouth of the hole is invariably under the surface of the water, 
while it is dug in an upward direction high into the dry bank, 
where a comfortable couch of dry grass and moss is formed. 
The couch has always a communication with the surface by 
means of a small hole, having its orifice usually in the midst 
of a bush, long tuft of grass, or other cover, for a due supply of 
the necessary air; and it is the scent of the animal issuing 
from the ventilater that enables the hounds to discover his 
whereabouts in their questings along the banks. This orifice 
is not usually larger than a mouse-hole, and so carefully con- 
cealed that it is impossible to find it otherwise than by scent; 
and it is difficult to conceive how a large animal like the otter 
can possibly contrive to dig such a minute gallery, unless we 
suppose that he merely appropriates that of a water-rat or mole 
to his own use—which supposition is most probably correct, as 
it would seem a task of no small difficulty for the animal to 
excavate in the solid bank a burrow whose orifice being below 
water could not admit of respiration being carried on during its 
formation, unless he availed himself of the subterranean galleries 
of some smaller animal previously communicating with the 
surface. 
‘The otter, in his habits, is decidedly a nocturnal animal, 
endowed with crepuscular vision, and seldom or never quitting 
his couch by day, unless disturbed; but as soon as the shades 
of evening begin to close in, forth he issues in quest of his 
prey. In his fishing expeditions he will pursue his course 
up stream rather than down, and any one unacquainted with his 
habits will scarcely believe the distance which he will travel in a 
Q 
