OTTER-HUNTING 



THE modern otter is born under a more fortunate star 

 than his ancestor of a century ago. The net is 

 barred, the spear disused, ' tailing ' is discounten- 

 anced : if his foes cannot kill him by fair means 

 he has nothing to fear from means now deemed foul. 



Otter-hunting is an old sport : but there is some evidence 

 to show that, in parts of the country at least, the otter was 

 regarded as vermin the compassing of whose death was the 

 first consideration. This is quite comprehensible when we 

 consider how important a source of food supply in old days 

 was the fish pond or stew maintained by them who dwelt far 

 from sea or river. 



' My servant informs me,' wrote Sir Henry Savill, of 

 Sothill, Yorks., to his ' cossin Plompton,' ' that in your country 

 there is a man that kills otters very well : wherefore I have 

 sent him to get him to me for a week. I assure you they do me 

 exceeding much harm in divers places. My folks see them 

 daily, and I cannot kill them : my hounds be not used to 

 them.' ' 



This was written on 8th November ; the letter is not fully 

 dated, but it seems to be referable to somewhere about 

 1540-1550. Sir Henry did not, it is evident, look upon the 

 otters as affording opportunity of sport : the ' exceeding much 

 harm ' to which he refers can only mean to the fish in river or 

 stew ; and, regarding the otters as vermin, he simply wanted 

 them killed down. 



In the seventeenth century it would seem that hounds 

 found the otter and the field killed him : says Nicolas Cox : — 



1 The Plumpton Letters. 



58 



