NATURAL HISTORY OF THE OTTER 



other beasts to grass, but only in the new grass 

 time, and to fish as I have said. They swimmeth 

 in waters and rivers and sometimes diveth under 

 the water when they will, and therefore no fish can 

 escape them unless it be too great a one. They 

 doth great harm specially in ponds and stanks, 

 for a couple of otters without more shall well 

 destroy the fish of a great pond or great stank, and 

 therefore men hunt them. They go in their love 

 at the time that ferrets do, so they that hold (keep) 

 ferrets in their houses may well know the time 

 thereof. They bear their whelps as long as the 

 ferrets and sometimes more and sometimes less. 

 They whelp in holes under the trees near the 

 rivers. Men hunt at them with^hounds by great 

 mastery, as I say hereafter. 1 And also men take 

 them at other times in rivers with small cords as 

 men do the fox with nets and with other gins. She 

 hath an evil biting and venomous and with her 

 strength defendeth herself mightily from the 



1 The author of " Master of Game " does not say anything 

 more about the otter. 



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