Hunters and Hunted 



swimmer, is, on land, nearly as clumsy as his cousin the 

 badger. His prey comprises fish, of which he is said to 

 consume five pounds per day, frogs, water rats and water 

 birds. In their capture he displays his admirable gifts as 

 swimmer, to which may be added his keen sight even 

 under water and a highly developed sense of touch in his 

 long whiskers. The otter is beautifully adapted for an 

 aquatic life. His flexible body, broad, flat head, his 

 webbed feet and flattened tail, which acts as a rudder, all 

 assist his rapid passage through the water. His skin is 

 oily and his coat so thick that the water does not really 

 wet it ; his mouth, nostrils and ears can all be closed 

 tightly against the access of water. He is, in short, a 

 living submarine. 



Even more perfectly adapted to an aquatic life is the 

 common seal, and this is very natural, for it spends the 

 greater part of its time in water, whereas the otter lives in 

 his burrow for a considerable part of the day at any rate. 

 With his cylindrical, spindle-shaped body the seal is well 

 adapted for rapid passage through the element in which 

 he is so thoroughly at home. Its backwardly directed, 

 short yet powerful fore and hind limbs form excellent 

 oars and rudder. With exceedingly light bones and a 

 thick layer of fat beneath his skin which at once renders 

 the seal lighter than it would otherwise be and protects 

 its vital organs from the cold water, small wonder that the s 

 creature is an adept in watermanship ; even its ears do 

 not possess the flaps so usual in animals, for these would 

 hinder its progress through the water. Like the cat, the 

 seal hunts by night, therefore it is not surprising to find 

 that he is provided with long whiskers his usual organs 

 of touch ; his sight too is extraordinarily keen. Its sense 

 of smell serves the seal well by giving it information of 

 the approach of enemies. 



The bats are of interest in that they apparently possess 

 a sense of which we humans have no experience. All 

 bats are bloodthirsty little creatures ; flying by night, they 



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