380 THE NATUEALIST. 



and while there, thrusts his tail underneath it, thereby dislodging the fish 

 which rushes out at the other side for safety, but only to run into the 

 tenacious fangs of the otter — but this hypothesis also seems untenable, 

 for the tail certainly lacks that flexibility which is required to arrive at a 

 successful issue in such a mode of capture. Is that important member 

 not rather used solely as a rudder and motive power of propulsion ! — 

 From observations I have been enabled to make, I am induced to believe 

 that he invariably secures his prey by keeping underneath it, and clutching 

 it unseen by the abdominal parts, and existing facts I think, will bear me 

 out in this belief, for the visual organs of fish are so placid, that they are 

 precluded from seeing anything immediately underneath or behind them, 

 while from the same cause the otter can more readily perhaps than from 

 any other point of vision, see an object above it ; and again, the otter does 

 not as may be supposed, swim underneath the water, for it at once 

 descends to the bottom and runs along the ground, threading its way the 

 same as if on dry land. Thus, when an otter sees a fish, he awaits until 

 it is near the surface, when down he plumps, and by a stealthy but rapid 

 movement approaches until he is immediately below his intended victim, 

 and secures it as I have described. Of course this mode of capture refers 

 only to members of the family sahnonidce and cyprinidcB, the anguilUdoe 

 becoming easy victims from their diminished powers of speed. 



His tenacity of life is very great, and this coupled with his well 

 developed powers of self-defence, constitute him no mean foe to vanquish — 

 no ordinary dog can overpower him, and in his own element he can 

 conquer three or four canine adversaries. His bite is terribly severe, and 

 when once he procures a hold he seldom quits it. His skin I believe to 

 be invulnerable to the bite of a dog. This arises perhaps not so much 

 from its thick tough oily nature, as from its wonderful elasticity, hence 

 the saying amongst old but unerudite sportsmen, '' an otter can turn 

 himself in his skin." I have examined several individuals which have 

 been worried to death — the last of which was one captured last summer in 

 the Jed in Scotland, by the hounds of that indefatigable otter hunter, Mr. 

 Gallon, of Bishop Auckland, and in every case, though I found the entire 

 flesh crushed and blackened with the teeth of dogs, the skin remained 

 intact, and without a single perforation. 



The prevailing colour of the otter is a dark chocolate brown, inclining 

 to a dark fawn on the throat and abdomen, and with the muzzle generally 

 blotched with cream coloured spots — ^but I have met with varieties of a 



