The Columbus journal., 1896-11-04
rns OTTER AND HIS PREY.
How . Rabbit Wss Drewaed ana Ihsu
EnkAn.

How . Rabbit Was Drowaod saa 1hep
Eatss.
Il may claim some right" said Mr..
N. r. Frances, in the London Fishing
Gazette, Ito speak confidently of the
otter's proceedings when in pursuit Of
his prey. since I was the first person
to record, from the testimony Of intel
ligent eyewitnesses, the course OF his
dealing with his victims. both by land
and by water. 1t is unlucky that Maj.
Fisher. who writes ON such subjects
with the keen interests Of sportsman,
should not have seen this testimony.
which would have saved him the gra-
tuitous error Of denying that the otter
seeks his prey on land as we'll as In
water. No doubt this error has Deen
encouraged by the position Of Lutra's
eyes, which look upward from above
rather fiat snout. Naturalists ut
once inferred that this arrangement
was for the convenience of the otter
in seizing his slippery victims rom
below. This being demonstrably a
mistake. We are tempted to suggS
that this upward gaze enables him
in his long dives to keep in view the
course of the eddies and the outline
Of the bank-matters which closely
concern him. But, Of course. this Is
mere conjecture. We know, however.
that. whether on land or in water. he
seizes his prey from above, mixing in
almost half a moment his four claws
and inflicting with eager haste what Is
designed to be fatal bite. When he
was watched while seizing rabbit on
the bank of the Mole he seemed not to
have bitten deep enough and dragged
his victim, piteously squealing. into
the river, where he deliberately drown
ed it and then ate 1t at his leisure,
washing the flesh from time to time.
so as to suggest that the warm blood
was over-strong for his digestion. The
observer on this occasion. whose atten-
tion was first drawn by the cries II the
rabbit, was fortunately himself mas
ter of otter hounds. used to watching
the stealthily maneuvers of the enemy.
He had with him a sharp fox terrier.
and though on the opposite side OF the
stream to that on which the otter was
dining rather expected the latter to
make himself scarce when the dog ap-
peared. But the marauder showed
amusing coOlness; he dropped into the
stream. raised his head above the wa
ter 4 few yards from the bank and
watched the terriers proceedings. Hav-
ing satisfied himself that the dog had
no taste for anything beyond dry shi-
kar, he returned TRANQUILITY to his din
ner. Here we had a depredator bold
as well as cunning and obviously
clean feeder. OF course l do not as
sumo that the otter usually, or even
frequently seeks his prey on lan1. 1
am content to know that he is capable
of doing so as occasion serves. ana
that in such a case. at all events. he
does not seize his victim from below.
About the same date at which this
curious rabbit incident was reported
to me ! received from the same neigh
borhoOd an account. equally we'll au-
of the otter's modus oper-
andi when in pursuit of the fish. which.
We may safely assume. form his prin-
cipal diet. A pike guessed at some
seven pounds. was seen basking under
an overhanging tree on the Mole. Near
ly above him ran bare bOugh. Along
that bough an otter was seen to creep
Il wish l could find some apter word
to express the prowler's stealthy, sim
uous movement-till he was close
above the pike, down on whose back
he dropped or slid, at once fastening
ell his claws in tie fish, and, as fully
believe. though the spectators eye |
could not note the movement with GER |
tainty. fixing the long grip of his jaws |
Just over the junction of his skull and
spine."