1 6 O'er Crag and Torrent 



immature fish. I would therefore submit to 

 all anglers, water bailiffs, and keepers that 

 the good offices of otters in destroying these 

 pests should be considered a fair set - off 

 against the destruction of a salmon or two 

 indeed, it is a moot point whether otters do 

 kill many salmon, provided they can procure 

 a good supply of eels and frogs ; and I think 

 it may be taken for granted that the large 

 majority of salmon killed by otters are weak, 

 spent fish and old kelts, so that as a matter 

 of fact they are Nature's instruments for 

 carrying out the fundamental law of the 

 survival of the fittest. Hunt otters, by all 

 means, in a legitimate manner, for then they 

 have a fair and square chance ; but to shoot 

 and trap otters in those hideous and brutal 

 gins is worse, or as bad, as shooting foxes. 



I fear I have made a digression to air my 

 own sentiments and opinions. In days of 

 yore otters were thought to be partly beast 



