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for some people, who have no idea to what lengths these animals 

 can go. Amongst other things foxes will often kill and eat 

 hedgehogs. 



Otter (Lutra lutra t Linn), This interesting animal is by no 

 means uncommon on many of our streams, and if it were only 

 legitimately hunted with otter hounds instead of being trapped and 

 shot whenever the opportunity presents itself it would soon become 

 quite numerous ; and my own experience is that on many streams it 

 does very little harm to the trout and grayling, feeding largely upon 

 coarse fish, such as eels of which it is very fond water voles, and 

 the large fresh water mussels Like most other animals, if obtained 

 when a little cub, it will grow up quite tame and follow its owner 

 about like a dog, and if trained to do so will even go into the water 

 and catch fish for him. Otters often travel a long way from water, 

 and very occasionally will take to evil ways, killing ducks, poultry, 

 etc. They are splendid swimmers, as indeed they need to be if they 

 have to catch a large fish in his native element. 



Badger (Meies meles t Linn). This most interesting animal is, I 

 am glad to say, still quite common, in spite of persecution in a good 

 many different localities throughout the country, and, indeed, on 

 some estates it is more or less preserved. I have frequently had the 

 pleasure of seeing both old and young playing outside their burrow, 

 quite unconscious that I was concealed either in thick bracken some 

 forty yards away or up in a tree close at hand. They feed largely 

 on roots of various kinds, and are very fond of the grubs that they 

 dig out of the nests of the wasps and wild bees. I have seen tame 

 badgers, but of course they must be procured as cubs. The old 

 name of the Badger is " Brock," and this is at times come across in 

 place names in different parts of the country. It is a mistake to 

 suppose that badgers and foxes will not get on together; they will 

 often live in close proximity for years without interfering with one 

 another. 



Weasel (Putorius nivalis> Linn). This plucky little animal, in 

 spite of general persecution, is still by no means uncommon, and it 

 does a great deal of good in keeping down the rats and mice. The 

 female is considerably smaller than the male sometimes remark- 

 ably so and country people generally imagine that there are two 

 kinds, calling the small ones by the name of Mouse Weasel. They 

 are frequently caught in the mole runs, where they pursue the field 

 mice. Both weasels and stoats are very playful animals, and I have 

 watched them roiling over and over, and jumping high up into the 

 air. They are very pugnacious in defence of their young, and are 

 generally known in the country as " wressels." I have seen one or 

 two beautiful albino examples, pure white with pink eyes. 



Hedgehog (Erinaccus europteus^ ZY). The Prickle-back 

 Urchin, the name by which he is generally known, is common in 

 most suitable localities, and feeding largely upon various insects, 

 does not do half the amount of harm that is imputed to him. I have 

 often found their nests, generally containing four or five young, 

 which, when first born, are covered with soft hairs. Gipsies are 

 very fond of them, cooking them in various ways, and in their 

 encampments I have breakfasted with them off this dainty meat, 

 which is really excellent. The hedgehog only partially hibernates, 

 coming out at times from its warm winter quarters, in the depth of 

 winter during hard frost, and when snow lies deep upon the ground. 

 They are popularly supposed to suck the cows, but I have never 

 been fortunate enough to come across one myself so engaged, nor 

 feave I ever met any one who had. I have kept dozens of them in 



