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therefore be said to bo most at homo, it often travels several miles 
in its nocturnal expeditions, passing from one stream to another ; 
they are said always to fish up-stream, returning down-stream to 
their sleeping places in the morning, and in this manner tliey pass 
over considerable distances, sometimes in the water, sometimes 
running along the banks of tlie river. Mr. Gurney mentions an 
instance of one which had thus pursued all the windings of the 
Yaro from Wramplingham to Eaton, its tracks being visible at 
intervals on the snow-covered banks. 
As a rule, the otter lays up during the day, but it is occasionally 
seen basking in the sunshine, or swimming leisurely across the 
open water, always, however, on the look out for enemies. ^Yhen 
trapped it seems ([uito subdued, and although under most circum- 
stances very courageous and even fierce, it appears to make very 
little effort to escape ; the Ilov. II. T. Frere told mo of one which 
was taken in a trap set close to the roots of a hollow tree ; when 
found it had merely retired under the tree, where it lay down 
submitting quietly to its fate, whereas the slightest exertion would 
have extricated it, as it was only caught by the tip of one toe ; 
I have seen similar instances recorded. 
Although li.sh forms the usual food of the otter, when hard 
pressed it is by no means particular as to its diet ; during a hard 
winter many years ago, a large male otter was killed in a sheep- 
fold at Briston, a considerable distance from any stream, it wa.s 
found regaling itself on a sheep which it had killed ; it has been 
known to kill ami partly devour a young pig, an occasional rabbit 
does not come amiss when hard pressed ; the remains of water- 
fowl have been found in their stomachs, and frogs and slugs arc 
taken probably as delicacies. It is also suspected of making an 
occasional meal off fresh-water mussels. I fear it must be con- 
fessed that the otter is a wasteful feeder, and that where valuable 
fish are cultivated it commits sad havoc ; in trout and salmon 
streams, however, it is open to the old English mode of attack, 
now almost forgotten, and those who have joined in otter hunting 
speak with perfect enthusiasm of the sport, from the drag to the 
finish, no other sport afibrding an equal amount of healthful 
exercise and excitement. In the first volume of La?id and Water, 
at pp. 398 and 442, will be found two articles on the mode in 
which the otter captures its linny prey, evidently written by a 
G 
