330° WHITLOCK : THE OTTER IN THE MID-TRENT VALLEY. 
an exceptionally large male was shot near Zouch Mills, by Mr. Tom 
Marshall. 1t was preserved and exhibited a short time afterwards in 
Loughborough. Unfortunately I have lost the note referring to the 
dimensions of this individual. More recently, one moonlight evening, 
I was ensconced on the end of an island in the Soar, on the look-out 
for wild duck, when I heard something flop into the water. This 
proved, however, to be nothing more than a Little Grebe which had 
flown from a neighbouring brook to feed in the river. A few minutes 
later, however, I was conscious of some creature repeatedly diving 
near at hand, but thinking it was only the Grebe, I paid little heed 
to the noise. However, I soon had to alter my opinion, for presently 
up came a broad, flat head, sniffing and blowing, from the depths of 
the water, and only a few yards in front of me. I soon recognised 
I had an Otter to deal with. The Otter, too, soon recognised me, 
for with repeated dives it took itself off. On telling my brother-in-law, 
who rents the island, of my experience, he decided that he and his 
keeper should watch and, if possible, secure the animal. They 
accordingly waited night after night, and though several times 
successful in seeing one or more Otters come floating down the 
river like some dead log, the slightest movement on the part of the 
watchers was sufficient to cause them to immediately disappear. 
This went on till about the middle of last November, when the lair 
was discovered in the following manner. My brother-in-law was out 
in the early part of the day, beating some beds of flags for wild 
fowl, when happening to glance towards an old recumbent willow, 
he thought he observed some creature eyeing him from an aperture 
in the crown. Before he could make out what it was, two old 
O*ters and a pair or more of young ones plunged into the water and 
disappeared. On further examination the willow was found to be 
hollow, and though gaunt and almost blown down to the level of 
the river, growing vigorously, as willows do.* The crown contained 
a chamber, and here the Otters had made their home, and probably 
the young were born. The lair was comfortably liaed with powdered 
willow wood and dead leaves, and had convenient apertures com- 
manding a view both up and down the backwater. The female 
was soon afterwards secured. She was in poor condition, and had 
evidently been suckling a litter of young in the earlier part of the 
year. Though her length from nose to tail end was 45 inches, and 
girth 16 inches, she only weighed 16 lbs. The dog was killed just 
about a month later, and in the same spot. He measured 45 inches 
in length, the same as the female, but weighed no less than 247 Ibs. 
* It is worth noting that James Harley, a Loughborough naturalist, records the finding 
of a similar air in the same locality, at the beginning of the present century. 
Naturalist, 
