THE OTTER HUNTING. iij 



seen, we were ■watching the elegant smews as they preened them- 

 selves, floating gracefully the while, without the movement of a 

 web, on the calm surface of the cold, clear sea, when right before 

 us, and within less than a dozen fathoms of the shore, a dark 

 object suddenly dashed to the surface with a flop and a splash, 

 and as suddenly disappeared. "We took it to be a seal in pursuit 

 of some fish, as is his wont ; but on its reappearance a minute or 

 so afterwards, we were delighted to see that it was not a seal, but a 

 large otter hard at work in chase of some favourite fish for supper ; 

 and small blame to him for that same, for if one might judge from 

 his exertions in the pursuit, he was dreadfully hungry and 

 thoroughly in earnest, not yet having dined, perhaps, nor even 

 broken his fast since the preceding evening, for your otter (Lutra 

 vulgaris) is for the most part an evening and nocturnal feeder. 

 Nothing could exceed the elegance and ease with which the otter 

 performed the most extraordinary and complicated evolutions in 

 pursuit of his prey, his long, lithe body, pliant and supple as an 

 eel's, twisting and twining in every direction as the fish darted 

 hither and thither, or swept in rapid circles in its efibrts to escape. 

 Its taU, we noticed, seemed to act not merely as a rudder in aid 

 of its owner's incessant perisaltations, but to be in constant motion 

 like a propeller, as if to assist the broad and muscular web feet in 

 every act of natation. For ten minutes or more, perhaps, did the 

 chase continue, the fish, that seemed to be either a haddock or sea- 

 trout of some three or four pounds weight, occasionally leaping 

 bodily out of the water in its efforts to escape from the unfriendly 

 attentions of its stern pursuer, the said pursuer, like a staunch hound, 

 doubling as the fish doubled, circling as it circled, and diving as it 

 dived, with a persistency and perseverance that it was impossible 

 to elude, until at last, fairly beaten in his own element, the fish 

 was captured in a pool of shallow water, whither it had darted in 

 its terror and bewilderment, the otter instantly pouncing upon it 



