immature fish. I would therefore submit to all anglers, water bailiffs, and keepers that the good offices of otters in destroying these pests should be considered a fair set - off against the destruction of a salmon or twoindeed, it is a moot point whether otters do kill many salmon, provided they can procure a good supply of eels and frogs; and I think it may be taken for granted that the large majority of salmon killed by otters are weak, spent fish and old kelts, so that as a matter of fact they are Nature's instruments for carrying out the fundamental law of the survival of the fittest. Hunt otters, by all means, in a legitimate manner, for then they have a fair and square chance; but to shoot and trap otters in those hideous and brutal gins is worse, or as bad, as shooting foxes.

I fear I have made a digression to air my own sentiments and opinions. In days of yore otters were thought to be partly beast

and partly fish; and it has been said, so prevalent was this opinion, that good and devout Catholics eat its flesh on fast days. Izaak Walton, in his "Compleat Angler," refers to this fishy idea:

"PISCATOR: "I Ι pray,

honest huntsman,

let me ask you a pleasant question: Do you hunt a beast or a fish?'

"HUNTSMAN: Sir, it is not in my power to resolve you; I leave it to be resolved by the College of Carthusians, who have made vows never to eat flesh. But I have heard the question hath been debated among many great clerks, and they seem to differ about it, yet most agree that her tail is fish; and if her body be fish too, then I may say that a fish will walk upon land.'"

Otters travel quite considerable distances at night hunting their prey, and their

B

movements, both in the water and on land, are quick and silent; they make a peculiar whistling sound, which can be heard a good distance. This reminds me of a much respected Devonshire parson's story of an old dame whose cottage was close by the riverside. The good lady—a spinster, by

the way

and the otters were on such amicable terms that a gallant old otter used frequently on a summer evening to come up quite near her, and whistle "No one coming to marry me; no one coming to woo." I believe this parson in question was made a rural dean. Young otters are quite easily tamed, and are intensely amusing pets; if carefully trained and treated kindly, they can be taught to catch fish for their owners. In China, and I believe in some parts of India, they are frequently used for catching fish; and Mr. Thompson, in his work, "Indo-China and China," says:

"We noticed men fishing with trained otters in this part of the river. There were a number of boats, and each boat was furnished with an otter tied to a cord. The animal was thrust into the water, and remained there till it had caught a fish; then it was hauled up, and the fisherman, placing his foot upon. its tail, stamped vigorously until it had dropped its finny prey."

The hunting of otters with hounds is of considerable antiquity, and is mentioned in several old works. The best account, however or perhaps I should say the best description-is given in Tuberville's "Arte de Venerie," dated 1575, to which I will presently refer; but at this point I think I should say something about the hounds used in otter hunting. In days of old the southern hound was employed, and judging from the descriptions of both ancient and modern writers, he was a large, rough

coated animal, marked like the fox-hounds of the present day, very slow, with excellent nose, and a melodious and bell-like note. Devonshire is credited with being the last county in England to possess a pack of the pure old southern hounds. It is now generally admitted that the modern otterhound is descended from the above old southern hound. To describe him shortly, he is a big, rough coated hound, with a conical-shaped skull somewhat like a bloodhound's, with big, dark, and intelligent eyes, a powerful well-ribbed body, straight, heavyboned legs, and large, well-formed feet; the stern carried gaily. He is marked rather like the fox-hound, but generally white, with greyish black or grizzly patches; he is slow, and has the beautiful bell-like voice alluded to as possessed by the old southern hound.

At the present day, however, very few packs (if any) consists of all-pure otter