NOV. OTTER-HUNTING. 47 



wounds seems to drive him frantic, and no sooner 

 does he come across the fresh track of one than he 

 immediately throws aside all control, and is off 

 ventre a terre in pursuit. 



It is not often that an otter commits himself so 

 far as to be found during the daytime in any situ- 

 ation where he can be approached ; but one day in 

 this month I was out for a quiet walk with my 

 retriever, looking at some wide drains and small 

 pools for wild ducks, when suddenly the dog went 

 off, nose to the ground, in so eager a manner that 

 I knew nothing but a fox or an otter could have 

 been the cause of his excitement ; and I soon 

 found in a nearly dry open drain the quite recent 

 track of a very large otter. For a long time he 

 would not show himself, till suddenly the dog rushed 

 into a thick juniper bush, and the next moment 

 dog and otter were tumbling over each other into 

 a deep black pool. The otter escaped from the 

 dog in the water ; but the hole being only about 

 six feet square, though deep, I took my retriever 

 out by main force, and waited for the water to 

 become clear again. When it did so, I looked for 

 the otter for some time in vain, till at last, having 

 stooped down close to the pool, I was startled by 

 seeing his face within a few inches of my own, his 

 body being almost entirely concealed by the over- 



