176 MELTON AND HOMESPUN 



to the great Mustelidce family, and is, therefore, alHed 

 to the skunk, badger, marten, polecat, stoat, and weasel, 

 all of which species possess the same elongated, low, and 

 muscular, albeit lithesome bodies; the same predatory 

 and cleanly habits ; constitutional hardiness, prolificacy, 

 and sagacity. Between the various species of the 

 mustelines, however, a very great difference in dentition 

 occurs. 



As to whether or no the otter has any fixed season 

 of nidification was formerly a moot question among 

 naturalists. It is a generally accepted fact to-day, 

 however, that the species has no specific breeding- 

 season, and we have personally seen quite small cubs 

 both in early spring and late autumn; a fact which 

 would seem to indicate that otters breed throughout 

 the year. 



And now, having touched upon the physical side of 

 our subject, we will endeavour to persuade those readers 

 who have been guilty of or who condone the " heinous 

 crime " of lutracide, that the otter, like his Satanic 

 Majesty, is not quite so black as he is wont to be painted ; 

 while, without doubt, he is one of the gamest of game 

 animals that ever ran before a pack of hounds, and, 

 therefore, worthy a more honourable death than by 

 a dose of shot or a spring trap. 



If my memory deceives me not, it was dear old Izaak 

 Walton, who at the finish of his maiden otter-hunt 



prayed the huntsman (what a d d bad sportsman 



that huntsman must have been) to save at least one of 

 the otter cubs which he (huntsman) was about to destroy. 

 Whether the father of anglers begged the life of that 

 cub simply that he might " teach it to catch fish and 



