178 



CASSELL'S POPULAR NATURAL HISTORY. 



shock, or of breaking some of the stones. Then a pole was thrust into the crevice, which was 

 enlarged, so as to admit a dog. One of the canine besiegers immediately rushed in, and, after a few 

 seconds spent in grappling with his antagonist, an otter was dragged forth, at whom the whole 

 body of dogs ran a-tilt. 



His .lei'enee was most heroic, many of his assailants giving proof of the power of his bite. The 

 Imttle was continued for several minutes j dogs and otter, involved in one compact group, rolled down 

 a precipitous ledge of crags, and at the bottom of it, the power of numbers prevailing, the poor otter 

 " died " as it was said, " very hard." Two more otters were taken directly after at the same cairn ; 

 one was shot as he made towards the water, the other was dragged by the tail by one of the men 

 from his hole, and bagged alive. 



In our day, otter-hunting is far less commonly practised than it used to be, as the animal is more 

 scarce, as well as more limited in its localities ; it is not, however, by any means forgotten. But 

 traps, nooses, <fec., are now usually employed in order to rid the pond or river of so destructive a guest. 



So far from being confined to the fresh waters, the common otters are known to frequent the 

 sea in the north of Scotland, and to hunt far out. In Cornwall, the otter wiH go a mile from the 

 shore in the summer and good weather after its prey. On the sea-shore, rocky coves, with scattered 

 blocks, hollows, and cavities under large stones, are its haunts. 



In the Prcedium ftustiaim of Vaniere mention is made of tame otters being employed in fishing, 

 in a passage which may be thus translated : 



" Should chance within this dark recess betray 

 The tender young, bear quick the prize away. 

 Tamed by thy care, the useful brood shall join 

 The watery chase, and add their toils to thine; 



From each close-lurking hole shall force away, 

 And drive within their nets the silver prey ; 

 As the taught hound the timid stag subdues, 

 And o'er the dewy plain the panting hare pursues." 



Every angler, too, will remember the passage in Walton, where good Mr. Piscator is anxious to 

 l>ossess himself of one of the young otters which the huntsman, after the death of the " bitch otter," 

 had found : " Look you," says the huntsman, " thereabout it was she kennelled ; look you, here it 

 was, indeed, for here's her young ones no less than five. Come, let's kill them all." " No," exclaims 

 Piscator ; " I pray, sir, save me one, and I'll try if I can make her tame, as I know an ingenious 

 gentleman in Leicestershire, Mr. Nich. Seagrave, has done, who hath not only made her tame, but to 

 catch fish, and do many other things at pleasure." 



At Pondicherry, Bishop Heber passed a row of nine or ten very large and beautiful otters,* 

 tethered with straw collars and long strings to bamboo stakes, on the banks of the Matta Colly. 

 Some were swimming about at the full extent of their strings, or lying half in and half out of the 

 water ; others were rolling themselves in the sun on the sandy bank, uttering a shrill, whistling noise, 

 as if in play. The bishop was told that most of the fishermen in the neighbourhood kept one or more 

 of these animals, who were almost as tame as clogs, and of great use in fishing, sometimes driving the 

 shoals into the nets, sometimes bringing out the larger fish with their teeth. 



James Campbell, near Inverness, procured a young otter, which he brought up and tamed. It 

 would follow him wherever he chose ; and, if called on by its name, would immediately obey. When 

 apprehensive of danger from dogs, it sought the protection of its master, and would endeavour to 

 spring into his arms for greater security. It was frequently employed in catching fish, and would 

 sometimes take eight or ten salmon in a day. If not prevented, it always made an attempt to break 

 the fish behind the anal fin, which is next the tail ; and, as soon as one was taken away, it always 

 dived in pursuit of more. It was equally dexterous at sea-fishing, and took great numbers of young 

 cod and other fish there. When tired, it would refuse to fish any longer, and was then rewarded with 

 as much as it could devour. Having satisfied its appetite, it always coiled itself round, and fell 

 asleep, in which state it was generally carried home. 



A domesticated otter, belonging to a poor widow, when led forth, plunged into the Urr, or the 

 neighbouring burns, and brought out all the fish it could find. Another, belonging to Mr. Monteith, 

 of f'arstiiirx, was also very tame, and though he often stole away at night to fish by the pale light of 



noon, and associate with his kindred by the river side, his master, of course, was too generous to 



The Nir-uayie of the people. The Juhl Marjur, or Water Cat, of the Mahratta* 



