168 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
breed in our woods, but are rarely found away from their earths. 
I have known of but two instances of Badgers being found above 
ground by the fox-hounds and killed. Keepers tell me that they 
occasionally see a family of Badgers returning to their lair, 
trotting in a line behind a leader just before daybreak.” 
Lutra vulgaris, Erxl. Common Otter. — Resident, and 
breeding occasionally, but rare. According to Harley’s observa- 
tion, the Otter “ occurs occasionally, being found on the banks of 
the rivers Soar, Trent, and Wreke.” He was present at the 
capture of a female Otter and four young ones in the spring of 
1817. The young Otters were taken from a rude Jair, matted 
with rushes and flags which the dam had carefully conveyed 
through a hole, and concealed within a decayed pollard willow on 
the banks of the River Soar, near to the upper mills in the parish 
of Loughborough. On being surprised the old Otter fought the 
dogs furiously, and was with difficulty overcome. The young, 
which had attained to the size of a large water rat, were still 
blind. Loughborough seems to have kept up its breed of Otters 
since Harley’s time, for seeing a notice in the local papers as to 
the occurrence of two young Otters near Loughborough in March, 
1884, I sent a telegram on the 22nd to Mr. Dakin, a fishmonger 
of this town, hoping to get the specimens for the Museum; and 
received a reply—‘‘'Two were killed, but only one obtained. 
There are more about.” Mr. R. Widdowson, writing February 
6th, 1885, says—‘I heard last week of one being seen at 
Brentingby ; I had one some years ago from the same locality.” 
The Leicester Museum possessed one killed near Enderby, 
September 28th, 1849; and “J. B.,” writing in the ‘ Chronicle 
and Mercury,’ February 28th, 1885, says—‘‘ Between sixty and 
seventy years back Squire Smith, of Enderby, kept a pack of 
Otter-hounds. A large Otter, stuffed and in a case, has been at 
the ‘ Narborough Inn’ for many years past. The late Mr. Wm. 
Sansome was gamekeeper, and, I believe, shot it.” 
Fosstz Carnivora.—It is somewhat singular that no remains 
of this Order should have, as yet, been discovered in the post- 
tertiaries of Leicestershire. Taking into consideration the fact 
of the occurrence in the county of several Ungulates contempora- 
neous with such Carnivora as Ursus speleus, Felis speleus, &c., it 
is really extraordinary that no vestiges of the latter Order have 
been discovered. Writing to my friend Mr. H. E. Quilter, a 
