64 FIELD-NOTES FOR THE YEAR. CH. XXIV. 



In the snow I constantly see the tracks of 

 weasels and stoats going for considerable distances 

 along the edges of open ditches and streams, where 

 they search not only for any birds which may be 

 roosting on the grassy banks of the ditches, but also 

 for eels and whatever fish they can make prey of. 



The otters, too, puzzled by the accumulation of 

 ice and frozen snow on the shallows, and about the 

 mouth of the river, go for miles up any open ditch 

 they can find ; turning up the unfrozen mud in 

 search of eels, and then rolling on the snow to 

 clean themselves. 



There are few animals whose scent is so attractive 

 to dogs of all kinds as the otter ; but it requires that 

 they should have great experience in order to be 

 sure of finding an otter, or of following with any 

 certainty when started, so strange and well con- 

 cealed are the nooks and corners of broken banks 

 and roots under which it lies or takes refuge when 

 hunted. 



My old keeper has great delight in the pursuit of 

 otters, and continually neglects his more legitimate 

 duties for the sake of getting a midnight shot at one 

 of these animals. Having carefully determined on 

 the way from which the wind blows, and made him- 

 self sure that no eddy of air can carry his own scent 

 towards the stream, the old man sits well concealed 



