Otter Hunting 15 



and broad at the base, and tapering at the 

 end. The head is comparatively small and 

 flat, with a broad muzzle ; eyes large, round, 

 and rather prominent. The fur is beauti- 

 fully sleek and soft ; there are two coats ; 

 the under fur consists of short, soft hairs, of 

 a sandy hue, whilst the upper or outer coat 

 is of a rich brown colour, and the hairs 

 longer and stiffer. Otters lie up during the 

 day in holts or hovers in the banks of the 

 rivers or ponds ; a hollow under the roots 

 of a tree in a quiet back or side stream is 

 a favourite resort, and the neighbourhood of 

 a weir is also a favourite spot for them. 

 Their food is fish, frogs, and they are 

 particularly fond of eels, demolishing a 

 prodigious number. 



And in passing I would here enter a plea 

 on behalf of otters. Eels and frogs are 

 fearfully destructive to salmon and trout 

 spawn, and they devour hosts of small and 



