134 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 



illegal, was formerly a favourite with our ancestors. The 

 creature was placed in a tub lying on its side, and attacked by 

 Terriers or other Dogs, whose object was to draw the Badger 

 from its place of security. As Bell remarks, it would be diffi- 

 cult to say whether in this so-called sport, the cruelty were 

 greater to the persecuted Badger or to his canine tormentors. 

 Since, through the intervention of a London paper, the title of 

 which need not be mentioned, a regular trade is even now 

 carried on in live Badgers, the suspicion arises whether 

 Badger-baiting is really as extinct as is commonly supposed. 

 To procure Badgers for the above-mentioned sport or other 

 purposes, the usual plan was to place a sack within the margins 

 of the "earth," with its mouth upwards and secured by a 

 running string, at such time as the owner was ascertained to 

 be absent from his dwelling. The surrounding coverts were 

 then drawn with a few couple of hounds, which generally suc- 

 ceeded in finding the Badger and hunting him to his hole, on 

 attempting to enter which he was of course securely bagged 

 beyond the possibility of escape. 



THE OTTERS. GENUS LUTRA. 

 Lutra, Erxleben, Syst. Re*gne Animale, p. 445 (1777). 



The Otters, all of which, with the single exception of the 

 Sea-Otter, are included in the present genus, form the sole 

 representatives of the last sub-family of the Mustelidce, the 

 characters of which are as follows : The feet are short and 

 rounded, with the toes webbed, and the claws small, curved, 

 and blunt. The head is remarkably broad and flattened ; and 

 the upper molar tooth is large and nearly square. In habits, 

 all the species are thoroughly aquatic. 



The genus Lutra is chiefly distinguished from the Sea-Otter 

 by the cheek-teeth being furnished with a number of sharp 



