CHAPTER XXV. 



The Otter.— Its Habits.— Its Prey.— Its Partiality for Water Fowl.— 

 Value of its Skin. — Easily domesticated. — Caters for itself. — Caters 

 for others. — Mode of Hunting it. — Otter Nets. — Otter shooting by 

 Moonlight.— The TrampSax.— Otter Traps.— The Pansar-Nat.— The 

 Keiller Otter-Trap. 



^ I ^HE Common Otter {ZUter, S\v.; Odder, Norw.; Lutra 

 -*- vulgcn-is, Desm.) is frequently met with in the 

 Gothenburg and other of the Scandinavian " SkJirgardar," 

 both eastern and western, as also on the shores of the 

 mainland, where they are rocky and precipitous. It is 

 likewise common in the lakes and rivers of the intei'ioi", 

 from Scania to at least as high up as Southern Lapland ; 

 but is said to be more numerous in salt than in fresh water. 

 Some will have it that there are two species in the 

 Peninsula, viz., the so-called "Skdr- Utter," i. e. that found 

 on the sea-coast, wliich is said to be the lighter in colour 

 and the smallest, and the "Flod- Titter," i. e. river-otter, 

 or that frequenting the inland waters ; but this seems 

 more than problematical. 



Be this as it may, however, the length of a full-grown 

 Scandinavian male Otter is, from nose to tail, about 



