OTTER HUNTING. 81 



the varmint to bite his cheek, saying " Go at him 

 Bobby." To everybody's surprise, Bobby was 

 in no way discomposed, but turned his face 

 coolly to his adversary without a whimper, and 

 in a few seconds was locked in the otter's throat 

 by his jaws, and he never shifted his hold till he 

 completed his work, and was removed by the 

 hand of his masters. All the dogs were then 

 allowed to gratify themselves by tattering the 

 dead carcass in return for the many compliments 

 it had paid them during the hunt, which had 

 lasted over three hours and a half. The Doctor 

 became faint from over- exertion, and through 

 such had to throw himself down for a little on 

 the cold ground. The otter was a male, and 

 aged, weighing 25 Ibs., and measuring 50 J inches 

 in length. A word here may not be out of place 

 regarding the master and his hounds. Dr Grant 

 is a native of Strathspey in the Highlands of 

 Scotland, where his forefathers constituted a 

 powerfi 1 ! and a warlike clan more than six hun- 

 dred years ago. He is a thorough-bred clansman, 

 and the representative of the eighteenth branch 

 of the " Honourable family of Grant of Grant," 

 being the fifth descendant of Patrick, second son 

 of James Laird, of Grant, who founded the family 

 of Wester Elchies in 1663 (see " Shaw's History 

 of Moray ; or the Genealogy of the Grant 



