DOGS USED IN SPORT 33 



three hundred years old, but which show the writer 



to be well informed on the subject, and a man of such 



keen observation, that I venture to quote it in the 



quaint, original language, hoping it may be interesting 



to some of the " sportsmen " amongst my readers : — 



" The Otter is a beast well-knowne — she feedeth on 



fishe, and lyeth neareunto Ryvers, Brookes, Pooles, and 



Fishpondes, or Weares. Hir lying in, commonly, is 



under the roots of trees, and, sometymes, I have seene 



them lying in a hollowe Tree, foure, or five, foote, 



above the grounde. Even as a Foxe, Polcat, Wylde 



Cat, or Badgerd, will destroye a Warren, so wyll the 



Otter destroye all the Fishe in your Pondes, if she once 



have founde the waye to them. She dyveth, and hunt- 



eth, under the water, after a wonderfull mannere, so 



that, no Fishe can escape hir, unlesse they be verie 



great, and swyfte. A lytter of Otteres, will destroye 



you, all the Fishe, in a Ryver, in two myles lengthe. 



There is great cunninge, in the Hunting of them, as 



shalle be saide in the next Chaptere; and also, it is 



possible, to take them, under the Water, and by the 



Ryver's syde, both in trappes, and in snares, as you 



may take a Hare, with hare-pypes, or such lyke 



gynnes. Theye byte sore, and venomouslye, and de- 



fende themselves stoutlye. I wyll not speake much 



more of their nature, but, onely, that they are footed 



lyke a Goose. I meane, they have a webbe betweene 



theyr clawes, and have no heeles, but, onely, a rounde 



balle, under theyr soale, of theyr foote, and theyr tracke 



is called the ' Marke ' of an Otter, as we saye the 



' Slot ' of an Harte. An Otter, abydeth not muche, 



3 



