Of all beasts of chase in this country, the otter is the one about which
we know least, for he is a great wanderer, a creature of the night, and
therefore difficult to study systematically. Of the many people who
follow hounds, comparatively few understand the science of hunting, or
the habits of the creature which forms their quarry. This is probably to
some extent due to the fact that there are very few books dealing
exclusively with the otter and his hunting. A knowledge of the science
of hunting and the habits of the quarry can be picked up by those who
have leisure to study the subject afield, but there are others whose
opportunities of doing so are limited. It is, therefore, in the hope of
interesting and perhaps instructing the latter, that we have written the
following chapters.