1892-93-] The Dumfriesshire Otter-Hounds. 49 



can set these doubts at rest by examining its excrements. 

 These will be found to consist almost invariably of the flesh 

 and small bones of eels, and nothing else. A gentleman with 

 whom I am acquainted kept a tame otter for some months, 

 and fed it principally on small burn trout, eels, haddocks, 

 roach, and sheep's liver ; but the animal much preferred eel 

 to all other fish, and when eels were placed in its tank it in- 

 variably dived after them, caught them by the neck, and 

 leisurely devoured them. A year or two ago, while the Dum- 

 friesshire otter-hounds were hunting Lochmaben loch, they 

 disturbed and afterwards killed an otter in the act of devour- 

 ing an eel 4 lb. in weight ; and they found another eel about 

 the same weight in Craigilands fish-pond, Moffat, newly killed 

 by an otter. In fact, while this pack of hounds were hunting 

 one of the Dumfriesshire rivers one day last year, and while in 

 full cry after an otter, the animal left the water with an eel 

 in its mouth, in full view of the hunt. Now if anglers would 

 only consider for a little, instead of calling for the destruction 

 of the otter as their enemy, and were they to study him more, 

 they would find that he is in reality one of their best friends, 

 for not only does he kill off sickly, diseased fish, but in living 

 so much upon eels he destroys fish which devour large quan- 

 tities of salmon and trout ova and fry. I once caught an 

 eel having a large burn trout half - way over its throat, and 

 one eel can account for a considerable number of fish. The 

 otter, then, in carrying on warfare amongst eels, is conferring 

 a benefit upon anglers, and assisting to preserve the balance 

 of nature. 



In its habits the otter is nocturnal, and it seldom appears 

 during the day unless when disturbed. When disturbed and 

 pursued for any length of time, it leaves the locality where it 

 has been hunted, and travels a great distance. During the 

 night, when in search of food, or calling to its mate, it utters 

 a short, sharp, whistling sound. When engaged in night 

 fishing, I have come upon the otter ranging along the bank 

 of the stream as if hunting for some prey other than fish, and 

 I have known them pay a visit to some rabbit-hutch or hen- 

 coop a considerable distance from their usual riverside haunts. 

 It is not quite correct to call the otter an amphibious animal. 

 In reality it does not live in the water at all, but only enters 



VOL. III. D 



