1 6 LAKES AND RIVERS. 



Large numbers offish were lying about,sometimes alive. 

 Among the fish were trout, large eels, and occasionally 

 salmon ; he got on the average a dozen pounds of 

 fish weekly from this source. One summer he cap- 

 tured three young otters from this lair ; two he gave 

 away, but the third he trained to fish in the river at a 

 point where the fish were unusually large and abundant. 

 This otter became remarkably tame and intelligent, 

 and was for several years his humble servant, when it 

 was unfortunately killed by the bull-dog of a visitor, 

 not, however, before biting a large piece out of the 

 cheek of its canine assailant Mr. Duncan says of the 

 Otter, " While eating, it holds its prey in its fore-feet : 

 or, if small, it secures it between them, and commenc- 

 ing at the shoulders, devours the fish downwards, 

 leaving the head and tail." While thus occupied, it 

 is sometimes visited by gulls and hooded crows, which, 

 however, do not venture to attack it, but wait until it 

 has finished its meal, contenting themselves with the 

 remnants. It is alleged that it destroys great quanti- 

 ties of salmon ; which may be the case when it inhabits 

 rivers or estuaries in which that fish is abundant, but 

 in the open sea it feeds on a variety of fishes. Along 

 the coast it finds generally a safe retreat in coves of 

 which the upper part is filled with blocks of rock, or 

 beneath large stones ; but in rivers and lakes it seeks 

 'refuge among the roots of trees, or burrows a hole 

 for itself in the bank. Although principally piscivo- 

 rous, it has been known to attack young domestic 

 animals, and I found the stomach of one killed in 

 June filled with a curious collection of larvae and 

 earthworms. 



