24 
were Icilled at one shot, and stuffed in the attitude in which they 
were observed before the shot was fired. 
Otteu [Lntra vulgaris.) The tracks of otters are frequently to 
he seen in the snow in winter on tlie hanks of rivers which they 
frequent. Otters are said in hTorfolk to fish up stream when they 
go out on their nocturnal expeditions, and to return down stream 
to their sleeping places. They often travel many miles in the 
night, and I recollect one being traced by its tracks in the snow 
from AVramplingham to Eaton ; it had pursued the windings of 
the Yare during the Avhole distance, but frequently landing and 
running along the bank, had made the tracks which were thus 
followed. 
I once traced an otter on a snowy morning in February from 
Eailham to Keswick, when its retreat avas discovered under the 
iloor of a bathing house, and the otter was shot after being turned 
out from its retreat by a dog. It proved a female, and as it had 
evidently given suck, its retreat was examined, and a single young 
one was found in a small nest composed of ivy leaves. The found- 
ling Avas suckled by a bitch Avhich had lost her pups, and progressed 
Amry Avell till it Avas about half-groAvn, Avhen an attempt Avas made 
to wean it, Avhich proved unsuccessful, and the otter (Avhich had 
become very tame) sickened and died. 
Otters often leave the neighbourhood of the water during their 
rambles, especially Avhen crossing from one stream to the other. 
In the parish of Easton, they Avere in the habit of thus crossing 
from the Yare to the Tudd, and from the Tudd to the Wensuin ; 
and I kneAV two instances of otters being captured on high ground 
at Easton, apparently Avhilst performing such journeys. 
During a hard Avinter many years since, a large male otter 
attacked and killed a sheep in a field at a considerable distance 
from any stream, at Briston, in Korfolk ; and a man Avho brought 
some turnips to the flock, found the otter regaling itself on its 
victim, and killed it Avith the tail-board of the tumbril in Avhich 
he had brought the turnips to the sheep. Otters do not ex- 
clusively frequent secluded localities. I once saAV a female and 
her young, Avhich hud been captured under the floor of a bathing 
house at Heigham, and the late ]\Ir. Horton once found and killed 
an otter in his dyeing yard in KorAvich, adjoining the \Yensum. 
I once saAV two otter.s, nearly full-groAvn, Avhich Avorc found together 
