THE OTTER AND SEAL 69 



depths and disappeared. So the old dog left the 

 water without a meal, and retired to a bed of 

 rushes near the water's edge. Deliberately he 

 bit off several stems and arranged them round in 

 the form of a rude nest, then he turned round 

 and round to make a comfortable hole in which 

 to lie. Next he turned on his back and licked 

 his chest and body all over. At last, satisfied 

 with his toilet, he curled up like a cat and was 

 soon asleep. He had not been asleep for more 

 than an hour or two when he was awakened by 

 the violent splashing of a big trout only a few 

 yards from his hover. It was broad daylight, 

 but the seclusion at the top end of the reservoir 

 appeared to give the animal confidence ; he was 

 out of the rushes in a moment and into the water, 

 and no sooner was he in the water than he was 

 out again with a glorious golden trout — he had 

 taken the feeding fish unawares. Next night 

 he again fished unsuccessfully, so left for fresh 

 feeding grounds and followed the overflow from 

 the reservoir. This led him through boggy land, 

 overgrown with coarse grass and cotton plant. 

 There were no fish in the water, so the otter 

 turned his attention to frogs and young plover. 

 He now left the high ground and struck a stream 



