7 8 OUTDOOR LIFE IN ENGLAND 



honestly deny the existence of cruelty in a greater 

 or less degree in every description of sport, and no 

 amount of argument will ever cause me to alter 

 my opinion. 



An otter is a gallant beast, and will fight to the 

 death, nor will he ever utter one cry of distress, 

 no matter how severely he may be treated. He 

 can swim with the greatest rapidity, well-nigh as 

 quickly as a fish indeed, were this not so, he 

 would soon starve and he can remain under 

 water for a very long time. The ear of this animal 

 is provided with a species of valve, which is 

 doubtless used for the purpose of preventing the 

 entrance of water, and enabling it to use its powers 

 of hearing when diving. The otter frequently 

 attains to a considerable size ; one weighing 

 twenty-four pounds was killed near my garden 

 some three or four years ago by the otter-hounds, 

 and this weight is by no means uncommon. The 

 average length of a full-grown otter may be 

 roughly estimated, when measured from the 

 muzzle to the tip of the tail, at about forty 

 inches, but there are many instances recorded 

 of otters being captured whose length has been 

 very greatly in excess of this measurement. 



The word * otter ' is derived from the Anglo- 

 Saxon otter, otor, or oter. The Latin word for 

 otter viz., lutra is also not very dissimilar in 

 sound. The strength of an otter is great ; the 

 bones large and short, and the muscular develop- 

 ment of the neck remarkable. The tail, or 'pole/ 



