262 The Tame Otter. Chapt. xx. 



" until it was varied by the capture of a carp, the head of which he 

 " was allowed to eat. His appetite seemed whetted by this, for he 

 " became very eager, and, whenever he came across the pike, a great 

 " struggle took place, but the big fish seemed such a monster that he 

 "could not worry him, yet, by the aid of his feet, he turned him over 

 "once, but never brought him to the top, though the otter's tail often 

 '" waved above water. Up to this time behind the fish's head was the 

 "part attacked, his great and powerfully armed jaws being avoided, 

 " but now the fish was evidently growing weaker, and the otter 

 " changing his tactics by attacking the enemy in the rear. Each 

 " round told in favour of the otter, and, finally, ' the sponge was thrown 

 "'up' by the beaten fish being towed to land by its tail, amidst the 

 " loud and hearty whoo-whoo-ops ! of all present, the doubtful battle 

 " having lasted above half an hour. The fish, which proved to be a 

 " female, weighed 20 lbs. 11 ozs., and the weight of the otter (a female) 

 " and very like an English otter, is only 18 lbs. Thus ended as well- 

 " contested a battle as I ever witnessed, and a sight I would have 

 •' gone any distance to have seen. Surely all true Englishmen must 

 " admire the bull-dog pluck of this animal, and endorse Mr. Benson's 

 " sentiments, as given in your last impression, which clearly is that it 

 " is a disgrace in this enlightened age of progress and civilization to 

 "allow ignorant keepers and watchers to exterminate the poor otter. 

 " Otters will travel any distance, and I have no doubt that some of those 

 " which have lately been so cruelly murdered are from the Wey, in my 

 "neighbourhood, and consequently I particularly regret their loss, for 

 " I know they do much more good than harm, and this knowledge I 

 " have gained by studying their habits for years, both in the wild and 

 " tame state. I have plenty of fish, and I cannot see that they 

 " diminish ; and yet I am seldom without an otter or two, and some- 

 "times a brood of them, for they are sacred here, as well as all rare 

 " birds, etc. Occasionally I find t lie remains of a small jack or an eel 

 " which they have caught and partly eaten. I know they scent these 

 " a, i,]er water, and bring them up from the mud : indeed, they prefer 

 " tin-in to every thing. Then they are very fond of frogs, and they 

 " will kill water-rats, water-hens, and even rabbits occasionally. 

 "They certainly seldom kill large fish in the wild state when they 

 " can get smaller more easily. Otters appear to grow for about two 

 " years, and they seem to differ considerably in weight. I once saw 

 " one killed in the Lune, near Lancaster, by Mr. Lomax's otter hounds, 

 "which whs 28 lbs., and that excellent sportsman told me that the 

 " largest he had ever seen was a male, which weighed 80 lbs. It was 

 " found in a hollow willow, in Warwickshire, and was evidently a 



