THE OTTER. 5 



a deep long pool to capture a grilse of 6 lbs. or 7 lbs. weight in 

 the height of the season. Mr. F. H. Salvin once witnessed a 

 struggle between a tame Indian Otter, belonging to Mr. Hulse, 

 of the Kille Brigade, and a large Pike in a deep pond in Stoke 

 Park, near Guildford. The Pike was eventually beaten, and on 

 being landed was found to weigh 20 lbs. 11 oz., while the Otter 

 weighed but 18 lbs. 



"The fish," says Mr. Salvin, "which I find they generally kill are 

 Roach, Dace, Chub, Loach, Miller's-thurab, Jack, and Eels. Many of these 

 fish take to the sides upon seeing their enemy, and he surprises them under 

 the banks, where they fondly imagine they are hidden from view, and 

 consequently safe. I believe they kill a considerable number of Water 

 Rats, and I know they catch Water-hens. I have seen an Otter of mine 

 hunt one like a Spaniel." 



We have received confirmation of this from a gamekeeper of 

 Lord Egmont's, as well as from Lieut.-Col. Levett, of Mitford 

 Hall, Stafford, who wrote that in January, 1881, he saw an Otter 

 with a Water-hen in its mouth, with which it dived at his approach, 

 and he subsequently found the spot where the bird had been 

 killed. In hard weather it would seem that Otters are compelled 

 to take other food besides fish, which are then not so easily 

 procured. 



Mr. S. J. Hurley, of Killaloe, who has had many tame Otters, 

 wrote in Sept. 1889: — 



"You may take my word for it that Otters, when hard pressed for food, 

 do hunt and kill Water-hens, and, indeed, other species of water-fowl as 

 well. On one occasion I even caught an Otter in the act of killing a 

 goose. I had been out one morning fishing in a tributary of the Shannon, 

 and as I turned a somewhat sharp bend in the river, I found Madame 

 Lutra tearing the feathers off a goose which she had just killed. I have 

 kept tame Otters for many years past, so know something about them. 

 One beauty that I had used to hunt everything she met with, both on land 

 and in water — fish, feather, and fur. One day, in winter, we were going 

 after the Snipe in the marsh, where it was impossible to work without a 

 retriever. My favourite Irish water spaniel being laid up at home at 

 the time, I could not bring her, but thought I would give Loo (the 

 Otter) a chance of signalising herself. I took her to the marsh, and 

 no spaniel in the world could have performed better. She put up the 

 Suipe splendidly, and retrieved any birds that fell into the big pools or 

 bog-holes." 



