HABITS OF THE OTTER. 279 



greater expertness and celerity than even the finny tribes 

 themselves. It lives chiefly on fish, not only devouring 

 great numbers, but destroying more than it consumes, 

 so that it has been known to kill every fish in a pond in 

 the course of one night. It either catches its prey by 

 rising under it or jjursuing it into some little creek, and 

 seizing it there." JNIr. Studdart observes that "the 

 otter, although naturally shy, and no lover of daylight, 

 will at times, when in the pursuit, show a bold front, 

 and has been known to contest its prey even with man 

 himself." A gentleman, when angling for pike on the 

 loch of Lowes, brought to land a fine fish of ten or 

 twelve pounds weight, was surprised to observe a large 

 otter swim ferociously towards him ; nor did it cease its 

 attack until it had succeeded in carrying away j^ike, 

 hook, and all. Another person, when angling in St. 

 iSIary's Loch at night, has frequently been followed to a 

 short distance by an otter, ready to pounce upon such 

 fish as he might happen to hook. The old ones are ex- 

 ceedingly strong and fierce, and never let go when once 

 they have got hold of their enemy. If fish happen to 

 become scarce and inaccessible, the otter preys on animal 

 food, such as rats and insects ; and Lovel states, " it 

 feeds on the tops of plants, fruits, and the bark of trees." 

 With respect to the breeding season of the otter, 

 Professor Bell says that " in Britain they produce from 

 three to five young, in March or April ;" but Goldsmith, 

 Avho appears to have carefully observed the animal's 

 habits, asserts that with us the young are never found 

 until the latter end of summer, in which season he has 

 frequently discovered them when he was a boy. 



The female litters on the hollow bank, upon a bed 



