200 The hooie of Hunting 



pray, and can go readily to him. But if a hound chance to crofTe 

 them, he wil hunt it aflbne as any chafe, and they make a noble cry e, 

 for the time that they iland vp. At laft when they may no more, 

 they wil take a tree, and therein feeke to begile the hounds. But 

 if the hounds hold in to them, and will notfogiueitouer, then they 

 will leape from one tree to another, and make great fhifte for their 

 Hues, with no lelTe paftime to the huntfmen. When they are kil- 

 led, you muft hold them vp vpon a pyked ftafFe, and hallowe in all 

 your hounds, and then reward them with fome meate. For the flefli 

 of thefe vermin is not good for a hound. Thus much I haue thou- 

 ght good of my felf, to write according to my country hunting. 



Of the hunting of the Otter. Chap. JS 



THe Otter is a beafb well knowne. Shee feedeth on fiflie, 

 and lyeth neare vnto Ryuers, Brookes, Pooles, and fiflie- 

 pOiides, or Meares : hir lying commonly is vnder the rootes 

 of trees, and fometimes I haue feene them lying in an hollowe 

 tree, foure or fiue foote aboue the grounde: euen as a Foxe, 

 Polcat, wildecat, or Badgerd will deftroye a Warren, fo will 

 the Otter deftroy all the fiflie in your pondes, if flie once 

 haue founde the waye to them. She dyueth and hunteth 

 vnder the water, after a wonderfuU manner, fo that no fiflie can 

 efcape hir, vnlefle they be verie great and fwift. A litter of Ot- 

 ters, will deftroy you all the fiflie in a ryuer (or at leaft, the grea- 

 teft ftore of them) in two myles length. They goe fault at fuche 

 times as firrets go fault, which time euery man may eafly know. 

 And they kindle and bring forth their yong Otters, euen as firrets 

 do, fomtimes more, and fomtimes lefle. To fpeakatruth,they feem 

 to be a kind of water firrets. There is great cunning in the hunt- 

 ing of them, as flial be faide in the next chapter, and alio it is pofTible 

 totake them vnder thewater, and bythe ryuers fide, both in traps and 

 in fnares, as you may take a Hare with Harepypes, or fuch like 

 gynnes. They byte fore and venomoufly, and defende them 

 felues ftoutly. And if they be taken in fnares, if they abyde long, 

 they will fone flieare themfelues out with their teeth. I will not 

 fpeake much more of their nature, but onely that they are footed 

 . lyke 



