xviii LETTERS TO MARCO 117 



never have eaten it in so wet a place ; be- 

 sides, the quantity eaten was enough for 

 three cats. The following day we found 

 nothing but the head left, and, on further 

 inspection, several other jacks' heads at the 

 bottom of the water close by. The evidence 

 as to its having been the work of an otter 

 seemed very conclusive, especially as I have 

 heard repeated rumours of the existence of 

 these creatures in the neighbourhood. These 

 beasts are very partial to jack, and are noc- 

 turnal in their predatory expeditions, probably 

 pouncing on their prey in the early hours of 

 the morning ; anyhow, an otter must have 

 found in my boat-house a very convenient 

 landing-place and slaughter-house for the 

 fish he caught. Many letters have appeared 

 lately in the Field as to the increase of otters 

 on the Thames, and complaints made of the 

 new law forbidding any sort of shooting or 

 trapping on its banks. There was a report 

 once here that a pack of otter-hounds from 

 Thame were coming over to hunt here, but 



