268 THE OTTER. 



mixed among their food, the quantity of their fish provision 

 is retrenched, and that of vegetables is increased, until, at 

 length, they are fed wholly upon bread, which perfectly 

 agrees with their constitution. The manner of training 

 them up to hunt for fish, requires not only assiduity, but 

 patience ; however, their activity and use, when taught, 

 greatly repays the trouble of teaching ; and, perhaps, no 

 other animal is more beneficial to his master. The usual 

 way is, first to learn them to fetch, as dogs are instructed ; 

 but, as they have not the same docility, so it requires more 

 art and experience to teach them. It is usually performed 

 by accustoming them to take a truss stuffed with wool, of 

 the shape of a fish, and made of leather, in their mouths, 

 and to drop it at the word of command ; to run after it 

 when thrown forward, and to bring it to their master. 

 From this they proceed to real fish, which are thrown dead 

 into the water, and which they are taught to fetch from 

 thence. From the dead they proceed to the live, until at 

 last the animal is perfectly instructed in the whole art of 

 fishing. An otter thus taught is a very valuable animal, 

 and will catch fish enough to sustain not only itself, but a 

 whole family. I have seen one of these go to a gentle- 

 man's pond at the word of command, drive up the fish into 

 a corner, and seizing upon the largest of the whole, bring 

 ft off, in its mouth, to its master. 



For the destruction which he makes among the finny tribe, 

 and also the disturbance which he gives them in their haunts, 

 the otter is an object of abhorrence to the angler. Old 

 Izaak Walton calls them " villainous vermin," and many 

 other hard names, and declares that, in his judgment, " all 

 men that keep otter-dogs ought to have pensions from the 

 king, to encourage them to destroy the breed of these base 

 otters." 



The sport of o^er hunting in South America is thus de- 

 scribed by a recent traveller : In the month of May, the 

 parties assemble by previous arrangement, composed prin- 



