24 WITHIN AN HOUR OF LONDON TOWN. 



had he taken from the traps. I spoke of the flesh- 

 eating propensities of the animal. "Ah," he said, 

 "do you know that you are the first one I've come 

 across that believed it ? Why, when I have told 

 people I have seen a great dog-otter take a rabbit 

 from his seat, catch him like a dog does, and lope 

 off with him to his hold under the roots of trees 

 in the river, they have laughed at me and thought 

 I was lying." 



" 'Tis true enough," I rejoined ; " and the otter 

 will have other things besides rabbits birds too and 

 poultry, when he can get at them. Being caught in 

 the act is surely proof enough." 



However, natural history is advancing in the right 

 direction ; children's publications of the present day 

 might be well substituted for some of the old stand- 

 ard works, full of mythical humbug, that have 

 reached a third and fourth edition. As the keeper 

 went on to observe, some animals that were sup- 

 posed to eat only flesh, will eat vegetables and 

 fruit; the badger, for instance, and the otter too, 

 at times. The marten, which is eminently carnivor- 

 ous, will eat fruit, raspberries in particular. 



Snipe, he said, he had watched, and had found 



