The Early History of the Sport 35 



be classed with that of the spear as obsolete and 

 unsportsmanlike. 



Otter-hunting has now entered upon a new phase 

 of existence, and if it is to retain and increase its 

 popularity as the only sport, save angling, that can 

 be followed during the summer months, and to be 

 in a position whence it can be easily defended from 

 the attacks of self-advertising sentimentalists or of 

 the budding school of imperfectly educated Snippy- 

 Bits " nature students," it must retain its well- 

 won reputation for absence of artificiality, which 

 may only be done by discarding these methods of 

 the past. 



The Otter should be found, hunted, and killed 

 by means of trained hounds and terriers, with only 

 such assistance as may be given them by the hunts- 

 man and the Field at the time. Not even the best- 

 trained pack could find, hunt, and kill their Otter 

 without human aid ; but the latter will be confined 

 to the '' spurring," " gazing," and " tally-ing " of 

 the quarry, the formation of " stickles " in order to 

 keep him, if it be possible, from unhuntable water, 

 the " making in " of an impracticable drain or holt 

 into which an Otter might escape during the progress 

 of a hunt, the use of crow-bar or spade to enlarge a 

 drain for terriers or to shift the quarry, and, in 

 certain circumstances, the final " tailing " of him in 

 order to end a good hunt handsomely. 



D 2 



