MORE ABOUT THE OTTER 129 
in first-rate condition for burning, being strong and 
clean. 
When flooded out of his home last winter, driven 
by the swirling torrent, he was making his way to the 
copse, saw the stack was high and dry, and went under 
it to find one or two rabbits comfortably settled there, 
snug and warm. As he does not feed on fish alone, 
he killed the rabbits, and so provided food for himself 
to last a considerable time. Cottagers rarely keep 
dogs ; in fact, they are not allowed to do so on large 
estates unless they are shepherds. So no dog was 
there to whine and scratch round about our otter's 
hold. The spot is away from the game-covers, too, 
so he is safe a fact the intelligent old fellow is per- 
fectly well aware of. Only those who have a real 
regard for wild creatures will find him out, and they 
can be very safely relied on for not speaking about 
him to those who would do him harm. 
All manner of excuses, more or less plausible, are 
made for killing the few wild animals that are left to 
us. The otter and his relative the badger, ' gallant 
beasts ' as they have been called by those who are 
most intimately acquainted with them, can never be 
classed among vermin. The poor creatures are simply 
trapped or shot to be set up in glass cases. * He 
has just been killed, been got out of the drain ; here 
K 
