The hoohe of Hunting 201 



like a Goofe : I meane they haue a webbe betweene theyr clawes, 

 and haue no heele but onely a rounde ball vnder their foale of 

 their foote : and their tracke is called the marke of an Otter, as we 

 fay, the flot of an Hart : and their fewmets are called fpraynts, as 

 hath bene fayde before. An Otter abideth not much nor long in 

 one place, but if flie be frayed or finde any fault (as they are very 

 perfectly of fmellyng and hearing) they will forfake their couche 

 and fliifte a mile or two vp or downe a riuer : the like wil flie do if 

 fhe haue once deftroyed the ftore of fiflie, and finde no plentie of 

 feeding. From a pondgarden or good ftore of fiilipondes flie wil 

 not lightly be remoued, as long as there is ftore of fifh in them : 

 for therein fiflies are taken with more eafe, than in the Riuers or 

 greater waters : but inough of their natures. 



How to hunte and take an Otter. Chap. 74 



WHen a huntefman would hunte the Otter, he fliould firfl 

 fend foure feruants or varlets with bloudhounds or fuch 

 houndes as will drawe in the lyame, and let him fende them, twoo 

 vp the Riuer, and two downe the riuer, the one couple of them on 

 that one fide, and the other on that other fide of the water. And fo 

 you flial be fure to finde if there be an Otter in y* quarter : for an 

 Otter cannot long abide in y^ water, but muft come forth in the 

 night to make his fpraynts, and fometimes to feede on grafle and 

 hearbes by the waters fide. If any of theyr lyamhounds finde of 

 an Otter, let y® huntefman looke in the fofte groundes and moyft 

 places to fee which way he bent the head, vp or downe the riuer : 

 or if he cannot perceyue it by the markes, he may partly perceyue 

 it by y® fprayntes and then he may follow his hounde, and lodge it 

 euen as you would do a Deare, or a Bore. And if he finde not the 

 Otter quickly, he may then iudge that he is gone to couche 

 fomewhere further off from the water : for an Otter will fome- 

 times feeke his feede a myle (or little lefle) from his couche and 

 place of refte : and commonly he will rather go vp the Riuer 

 than downe : for goyng vp the ftreame, the ftreame bringeth him 

 fent of the fiflies that are aboue him : and bearing his nofe into 

 the winde, he fliall the fooner finde any faulte that is aboue him. 



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