WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



searching anxiously for their mother; and if you kill the 

 young ones, the parent will come boldly to the surface, and 

 hover about the place till she is killed herself. When a pair 

 of otters frequent a place, if one is killed, the other will hunt 

 for its lost mate in the most persevering manner. If one is 

 caught in a trap, the other remains all night near her, run- 

 ninground and round.invaintryingtogetheraway. Though 

 usuallyso noiseless and quiet, on theseoccasions they make 

 a great hubbub, blowing and snorting almost like a swim- 

 ming horse. 



Sometimes they lie all day on some small island or bank 

 covered with rushes, ready to slip down into the water on 

 the approach of danger. I was one day in August looking 

 for young wild ducks in a swamp covered with rushes and 

 grass,whenmydog,whowasrunningandsplashingthrough 

 the shallow water, suddenly stood still, sometimes whining 

 as ifcaught in a trap,and then biting furiously at something 

 inthe water. I couldnotimaginewhathadhappened to him, 

 andheeitherwould not or couldnotcometome when called, 

 so I waded over to see what was the matter. I found a laree 

 otter firmly holding on by his powerful jaws to the dog's 

 shoulder, and had he not had a good covering of curly hair, 

 I believe thebrute would have broken his leg, so severe was 

 the bite: even when I came up, the otter seemed very little 

 inclined to let go; but at last did so, and I shot him as he 

 splashed away. 



When one of these animals is surprised in an open place, 

 he will for some time trust to being concealed, remaining 

 flat on the ground, with his sharp little eyes, which are 

 placed very high on the head, intently fixed on you. Like all 



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