192 FIELD NOTES FOR THE YEAR. 



were tumbling over each other into a deep black pool. The 

 otter escaped from the dog in the water ; but the hole being 

 only about six feet square, though deep, I took my retriever 

 out by main force, and waited for the water to become clear 

 again. When it did so, I looked for the otter for some time 

 in vain, till at last, having stooped down close to the pool, I 

 was startled by seeing his face within a few inches of my 

 own, his body being almost entirely concealed by the over- 

 hanging bank. I tried to make him leave his cover, but in 

 vain ; so I sent the dog in again, who soon found him, and 

 after a short scuffle, the otter left the pool, and went off 

 along a wide but shallow dram, and there the battle began 

 again. The dog, though unable to master the otter, who was 

 one of the largest size, managed to prevent his escape, and at 

 last I contrived to end the contest by a well-applied blow 

 from a piece of railing which I had picked up. 



Otter skins, when well dressed by a skilful furrier, make a 

 valuable addition to a lady's winter wardrobe, the under fur 

 being peculiarly soft, silky, and of a rich brown colour. 



I am daily more and more convinced that the otter is by 

 no means so great an enemy to salmon as he is supposed to 

 be; his general food being trout, eels, and flounders ; although 

 of course when a salmon comes in his way, he is sufficiently 

 an epicure not to refuse taking it. An otter seldom kills a 

 salmon without leaving enough of the fish to betray him, as 

 most people who live near salmon rivers know full well ; but 

 the remains of the trout and eels which he kills are not so 

 conspicuous. I am borne out in this opinion by Mr. Young, 

 the manager of the Duke of Sutherland's salmon fishings, 

 whose opportunities of observation, and acuteness in judging 

 on all points connected with subjects of this kind, ought to 

 make his favourable opinion of otters equivalent to a verdict 

 of acquittal whenever they are accused of being great salmon 

 destroyers. 



The seal, on the contrary, is a constant and most annoying 

 enemy to the salmon fisher, breaking the stake nets, and 

 enabling the fish who are already enclosed to escape. 

 Besides which a seal, hunting along the shore near the 

 nets, drives the salmon out into the deeper water, beyond 

 the reach of the fisherman. The seal is also a much 

 more rapid swimmer than the otter, and I have no doubt 

 that he can take a salmon by actual speed in the open sea, 

 although he cunningly prefers catching his prey with the 



