CHAPTER XXV. 



The Otter. Its Habits. Its Prey. It-; Partiality for NV.itcr Fowl. 

 Value of ite Skin. Easily domesticat.'.l. Cat.i-N for itM-1: 

 for others. Mode of Hunting it Otter Nets. Otter shootinj; l.y 

 Moonlight. The Tramp Sax. Otter Traps. The Pansar Niit. 

 Keiller Ott.-r-Tr.ip. 



rT^IIE Common Otter (Utter, S\v.; Odder, Norw.; 



vnlyaria, Dcsm.) is frequently met with in tlic 

 Gothenburg and other of the Scandinavian " Skiirgardar," 

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

 mainland, where they arc rocky and precipitous. It is 

 likewise common in the lakes and rivers of the interior, 

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

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

 Some will have it that there are t\vo species in the 

 Peninsula, vi/., the so-called '-S/.-i'ii'- Cf/t-r," i.e. that found 

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

 and the smallest, and the "Flo<l-nt<->\" i.e. river-otter, 

 or that frequent ini: 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 



