OTTER'S HAUNTS AND HABITS 



entrance to an otter lies in the fact that he can 

 get in and out without showing himself, and once 

 inside he may be " out of mark," or in other words, 

 his scent is not carried to the outer air, so that if 

 hounds come along they cannot wind him in his 

 retreat. 



After his night's peregrinations, an otter will 

 return to his holt, but prior to settling down in his 

 chosen retreat, he often visits one or two other 

 tree-roots on the river-bank. Hounds sometimes 

 mark at these places, only to find that their otter 

 has gone on. 



Along the sea coast, otters inhabit the water- 

 worn caves and other retreats about the cliffs. 

 Wherever there is an open boathouse on lake or 

 river, otters are pretty sure to resort to it. We 

 have examined many such places, and almost 

 invariably found otter coke lying about on the 

 planking, and sometimes actually in a boat or 

 boats. In bad weather a boathouse affords a dry 

 lying spot, and no doubt this is why otters visit it. 



In order to thoroughly realise the wanderings 



