THE SMALLER CARNIVORA 117 
they were allowed to catch live fish. 
Once one of them seized a 4-Ib. pike 
by the tail. The pike wriggled round 
and seized the otter’s paw, but was 
soon placed hors de combat. The 
largest otter which the writer has seen 
‘was bolted by a ferret from a rabbit- 
warren on the edge of the Norfolk 
fen at Hockwold, and shot by the 
keeper, who was rabbiting. 
English dog otters sometimes 
weigh as much as 26 lbs. They 
regularly hunt down the rivers by 
night, returning before morning to 
their holt, where they sleep by day. 
No fish stands a chance with them. 
They swim after the fish in, the open 
river, chase it under the bank. and 
then corner it, or seize it with a rush, 
just as the penguins catch gudgeon at 
the Zoo. Captain Salvin owned a 
famous tame otter which used to go 
for walks with him, and amuse itself 
by catching fish in the roadside ponds. 
THE BADGERS. TWO TAME OTTERS 
These two little otters were photographed by the Duchess of Bedford. ‘Alluding 
Tue Bapcers include several to the old signs of the zodiac and their fondness for the watering-pot, their portrait 
genera. The SAND-BADGERS Of the ayos called “ Aquarius”? and “The Twins.” 
‘East have a naked snout, small ears, 
and rough fur, with softer fur underneath. The InprIAn Babcer is larger than that of Europe, 
while that of Java, Sumatra, and Borneo is smaller, and has a very short tail. 
The FERRET-BADGERS from the East 
have elongated bodies and short tails. 
They are tree-climbers, and as omniv- 
orous as the badger itself. The Cape 
ZORILLA, with another species found in 
Egypt, is more nearly allied to the 
polecats, but is striped like a skunk. 
The European Bancer is still fairly 
numerous. There is not a county in 
England where it is not found. A large 
colony has been established in Epping 
Forest, some fifty yards square of hill- 
side being honeycombed with badger- 
earths. The European badger is found 
all over temperate Northern Europe 
and Asia; but being shy, wary, and 
mainly nocturnal, is seldom seen. At 
night it wanders about, and in August 
gets into the corn-fields, whence it is 
chased and caught by dogs. A Somer- 
Photo by Scholastic Photo. Co.) [Parson’s Green 
EUROPEAN BADGER 
Badgers can be readily kept in confinement, and are not difficult to tame 
thoroughly 
