3l8 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



or soil, up the stream inland to the place where it had gone to couch. 

 The otter when wounded, as it is noticed on page 75, bites violently, and 

 makes towards land ; although the male-otter never utters a cry, but the 

 pregnant females give a very shrill scream. When the otter fastens upon 

 the dogs in the water, it dives with them, carries them far below the sur- 

 face, and will seldom give up or quit its hold but with life. The hunting 

 of an otter will last three and four hours, and the most fatal time for the 

 pursuit is in snow and hard frost : an unbaited gin set near the landing- 

 place of otters is also used to destroy them. , Daniel. Otter-dogs, which 

 are mentioned a short distance below the line above quoted, are a breed 

 between the harrier and the terrier, and are hounds of great strength and 

 activity. The following extract from the Whitehall Evening Post of May, 

 1760, was communicated for the first impression of this Edition of The 

 Complete Angler, twenty-one years since, by the late Joseph Haslewood, 

 as showing the time when otter-hunting in England began to decline. 



"To be Disposed of, At Barton under Need wood, near Li tch field, 

 Staffordshire, OTTER-HOUNDS, exceeding staunch, and thoroughly well 

 trained to the hunting of this Animal. The Pack consists of nine Couple 

 and a Terrier, and are esteemed to be as good, if not the best, Hounds in 

 the Kingdom. In the Winter Season they hunt the Hare, except about 

 two Couple and a half that are trained to the Otter only ; but there are 

 about two Couple of Harriers, that have never been entered at the Otter, 

 which will go with the rest ; beside three Couple of Year-old Hounds, now 

 fit to enter at either or both ; and one Couple of Whelps, ready to go to 

 Walks. The greatest part of them are the Blood of as high bred a Fox- 

 Hound as any in England. The Proprietor disposes of them for the two 

 following reasons only : First, because all the Otters except about three 

 or four are killed within this Hunt, which consists of all the Rivers in this 

 Country, (except the Dove, where Otters are not to be killed with Hounds,) 

 Leicestershire, and Warwickshire ; but more especially, because the Pro- 

 prietor finds himself too infirm to follow them. None but Principals will 

 be treated with. Direct to Walter Biddulph, of Barton aforesaid, Esq. : 

 by whom all letters from Principals will be duly answered. 



" N.B. Mr. Biddulph has killed within these last six Years with these 

 Hounds, above Burton upon Trent only, seventy-four Otters. There are 

 six Spears to be disposed of with the Hounds." 



Page 42. Noble Mr. Sadler. 



Ralph Sadler, or Sadleir, of Standon, in the County of Hertford, Esq. ; 

 only son and heir of Sir Thomas Sadler, and grandson of Sir Ralph Sadler, 

 Knight-Banneret, celebrated in ths times of Henry VIII., Edward VI., 

 Mary, and Elizabeth. He married, in 1601, Anne Paston, eldest daughter 

 of the very eminent Sir Edward Coke, Lord Chief -Justice ; in 1606, he 



