THE OTTER AND HIS NATURE 73 



hounds by great mastery, as I say hereafter. ^ And 

 also men take them at other times in rivers with 

 small cords as men do the fox with nets and with 

 other gins. She hath an evil biting and venom- 

 ous and with her strength defendeth herself 

 mightily from the hounds. And when she is 

 taken with nets unless men get to her at once she 

 rendeth them with her teeth and delivereth herself 

 out of them. Longer will I not make mention of 

 her, nor of her nature, for the hunting at her is 

 the best that men may see of her, save only that 

 she has the foot of a goose, for she hath a little 

 skin from one claw to another, and she hath no 

 heel save that she hath a little lump under the 

 foot, and men speak of the steps or the marches 

 of the otter as men speak of the trace of the hart, 

 and his fumes (excrements) tredeles or spraints. 

 The otter dwelleth but little in one place, for 

 where she goeth the fish be sore afraid. Some- 

 times she will swim upwards and downwards seek- 

 ing the fish a mile or two unless it be in a stank. 

 Of the remnant of his nature I refer to Milbourne ^ 

 the king s otter hunter. As of all other vermin I 

 speak not., that is to say of martens and pole cats, for 

 no good hunter goeth to the wood with his hounds 



' The author of "Master of Game" does not say anything 

 more about the otter. 



2 In Priv. Seal 674/6456, Feb, 18, 1410, William Melbourne 

 is valet of our otterhounds. See Appendix : Otter. 



