THE OTTER. 133 



condition of things in other lands proves that a 

 periodical change of diet in the way of sea-fish is 

 not essential in this animal's bill of fare, and there- 

 fore it can safely be assumed that the nomadic 

 habits of the species are not caused by necessity, 

 and many of them, no doubt, remain exclusively 

 in fresh water till old and heavy. 



If change of diet is necessary for the otter's 

 well-being, it is found in the ordinary course of 

 inland travel. During the early spring, when the 

 courtship of the frog is at its height, many otters 

 leave their home-streams, and, guided doubtless by 

 their hearing, hunt the stagnant ponds in fields 

 and forests in search of frog communities. A pair 

 of otters will in a single night entirely deplete a 

 pool of its frog population, leaving the skins and 

 the eyes of the victims scattered broadcast every- 

 where. Their liking for frog amounts almost to 

 a mania, and I remember one ' frog pond,' at least 

 a mile from the river, that the M.O.H. always 

 insisted on drawing early in the day very often 

 with profitable results. 



TRAPPING. 



If otters are to be trapped at all, it may as 

 well be done humanely, and the beaver set is the 

 most humane method I know. When a beaver 

 is trapped it instantly dives, and such is its 

 strength that, unless measures are taken to pre- 

 vent it, it will amputate its imprisoned limb. The 

 same applies to an otter, except that a trapped 

 otter is more likely to make for dry land than 

 for deep water. 



Find one of the otter's landing-places at the 

 edge of a deep pool. Set the trap here, preferably 

 just under water, and cover it with soft mud. If 



