Common Bat (Vespertilio pipistrellus, Schreber)
The Common Bat is in a general sense familiar to everybody, for it may be seen in the evenings flying everywhere, even in the streets of crowded cities. Its British distribution extends from the South of England to Scotland and the Hebrides and westward to Ireland. Its wider range includes Europe and parts of Asia. It is the smallest of the British Bats.
In spite of its small size—the head and body measure little more than an inch and a half—the Common Bat is of robust build, and it has a wing expanse of over eight inches. It has a flat broad head with a blunt muzzle and wide mouth. The short, broad ears are somewhat triangular with blunt tips. The erect, slightly incurved tragus has a rounded tip which does not reach quite to half the height of the ear. There are glandular swellings on the muzzle between the nostril and the small, but rather prominent eye. The tail is little over an inch in length, and the legs also are short. The last joint of the tail is free from the membrane and prehensile, and the Bat makes use of it as a support in crawling up or down. The spur reaches more than halfway to the tail. The narrow wing is attached to the middle of the sole of the foot.
The somewhat silky fur is a reddish-brown on the upper parts, slightly paler beneath. The wing membrane and the ears are blackish.
It is a very active Bat, flying over farmyards and gardens and about houses, frequently uttering its shrill little squeak as it snaps up the flies and small beetles, pouching and eating them without alighting. It continues its flight all through the night, and has a longer period of activity than any other species, for it leaves its hibernaculum in March and does not retire until winter has begun. Even then, a moderately high midday temperature is sufficient to awaken it and bring it out for an hour's hunt. It is this habit that accounts for the letters in the daily papers from City gentlemen who report the presence of a Bat flying along Cornhill or Cheapside early in January.
It is not particular in regard to its sleeping place, and is frequently found under roofs, behind rainwater pipes and gutters, or in any crevices between woodwork and brickwork in buildings. Any regular dormitory acquires a very fetid odour from its use.
The dental formula of the Common Bat is: i 2/3, c 1/1, p 2/2, m 3/3 = 34. Schreber's name of Vespertilio pipistrellus was bestowed in 1774 and is the oldest name; in the British Museum Catalogue it is Pipistrellus pipistrellus, a combination invented by Miller in 1897.
Serotine (Vespertilio serotinus, Schreber).
The Serotine and the Noctule are our two largest Bats, and in the early records they were very much confused. Though similar in size, they may be known apart by the shape of the ear; in the present species oval-triangular with the tips rounded. The fur is also of a darker brown, and there are other points of difference, such as the possession of two additional teeth by the Noctule. But for a few records of its occurrence in Essex, it might be said to be restricted in Britain to that portion of England bounded by the river Thames and the English Channel. A few examples have been taken in Cornwall, and other counties in which it is found are Surrey, Hampshire, Sussex, and Kent. It occurs throughout the Isle of Wight—where it is known as Rattle-mouse—but Kent is its British metropolis, where it is the commonest Bat. It extends through Central and South Europe, from Denmark to the Mediterranean and eastward into Asia.
It has a somewhat swollen face with little hair on the front portion, save for a moustache on the upper lip; but owing to the dark skin of the face the lack of fur is not very noticeable. The dark brown fur of the upper parts is soft and dense; behind the shoulders the hairs have buffy tips. On the underside the fur is somewhat lighter. There is little extension of fur on the wing, except a line of down on the under surface of the forearm. The membrane is attached to the base of the toes. The head and body measure about three inches, and the tail slightly exceeds two inches, the last joint being quite free of the membrane. The expanse of the wings is fourteen and a half inches. There are prominent glandular swellings on the muzzle. The ear is about three-quarters of an inch long; the short tragus—less than half the length of ear—has a straight front border and a curved hind border, with rounded tip. The canines and the inner incisors of the upper jaw are noticeably large and strong. Dental formula: i 2/3, c 1/1, p 1/2, m 3/3 = 32.
The Serotine makes its appearance in public about sunset, apparently retiring early and flying again in the early morning. It frequents glades in woods, and preys upon beetles and moths. In May and June large numbers of cockchafers fall victims to it, and in July and August in Kent and Sussex it plays havoc with the local Brown-tail Moth. In the early part of its season it flies at a low height, but later it prefers an altitude between thirty and forty feet, from which, however, it frequently descends to the ground. The change is, no doubt, connected with the seasonal succession of insects with different habits. It is a sociable species, and when it retires to holes or roofs for its daytime rest it is usually in company. Its hibernation begins at the end of October. Its voice is a squeak.
The Parti-coloured Bat (Vespertilio murinus, Linn.) is sometimes enumerated among British Bats, but on the strength of only two specimens captured in this country, in the "thirties" of last century. As one of these was taken at Plymouth and the other at Yarmouth, it is reasonable to suppose that they were mere stragglers which had reached our shores on board ship. Had they occurred as residents their distinctive coloration—dark brown upper side mottled with yellow-brown and whitish underside—and large size, would have established their identity at once.
Great Bat (Nyctalus noctula, Schreber).
Though similar to the Serotine in size and to the Pipistrelle in form, the Great Bat or Noctule was recognised as a distinct species long ago. We might with great fitness call this White's Bat, for it was the Selborne naturalist who first called attention to it as a native species, under the name of altivolans, suggested by its high flight. Schreber, however, had some years previously named it noctula, basing his description upon a French specimen. White refers to it several times, and in his xxxvith letter to Pennant gives particulars which the latter included in his "British Zoology." Part of White's description is worth quoting. He says: "In the extent of their wings they measured fourteen inches and a half; and four inches and a half from the nose to the tip of the tail; their heads were large, their nostrils bilobated, their shoulders broad and muscular; and their whole bodies fleshy and plump. Nothing could be more sleek than their fur, which was of a bright chestnut colour.... They weighed each, when entire, full one ounce and one drachm. Within the ear there was somewhat of a peculiar structure that I did not understand perfectly! [? tragus] but refer it to the observation of the curious anatomist. These creatures sent forth a very rancid and offensive smell."
To add to White's description, it may be said that the general form is robust and heavy, the forearm massive, the wing long and slender, its narrowness being due to the shortness of the fifth finger. The lower leg is short and thick and the foot broad and powerful. The muzzle is broad and has a glandular swelling between eye and nostril. The nostrils project forward and outward and there is a distinct concavity between the two crescent-shaped orifices. The ear is short—when flattened it is broader than long—with the front border rounded to the tip; its inner surface covered with short hairs. The ears are far apart. There is a very short, downy, bow-shaped tragus, broader above than below. The long, soft, golden-brown fur is abundant, and extends over the face and a short distance over the wing; it is paler and duller on the lower parts. On the underside there is a narrow band of fur below the arm bones. The last joint of the tail is free. The membrane and ears are blackish.
The dentition is: i 2/3, c 1/1, p 2/2, m 3/3 = 34.
The Great Bat, as one would expect from the shape of the wings, has a quick, dashing flight reminding one of that of the Swifts, with which, indeed, it may be seen high in the air hawking for the same prey. It often glides down obliquely on expanded wings. It flies at twilight and again at dawn, as well as in the daytime occasionally. It has a shrill, clear, cricket-like voice.
Mr. C. B. Moffat says they "cram themselves to bursting point either once or twice in the twenty-four hours, during a seventy minutes career of mad excitement among the twilight-flying beetles and gnats." They also take moths and other insects; but in captivity they have resolutely refused to eat such "warningly coloured" species as the Cinnabar and Magpie moths. It is proved that at one meal they will consume food equal to a fourth of their own weight. When one considers the lightness of insects the amount of good these purely insectivorous creatures effect is obvious.
Their resorts are in hollow trees and under the eaves of buildings, where numbers may associate together, especially in hibernation. Their presence is often indicated by thick layers of excrement.
The Great Bat flies all through the year with the exception of January and the latter part of December. Pied and almost black variations from the normal colouring have been recorded.
The sexes are said to separate into distinct colonies in the summer: the females retiring to trees. The single young is born naked and blind towards the end of June. When they get their fur they are much darker than the adults.
Although the Great Bat is generally distributed as far north as Yorkshire, Durham, and the Lake District, it is common only in the South of England, from Norfolk to Cornwall, but is rare in the Isle of Wight. It is not recorded from Ireland. Formerly, it was not considered a native of Scotland, but in recent years several examples have been captured there. It is found throughout the greater part of Europe and adjacent parts of Asia.
Leisler's Bat (Nyctalus leisleri, Kuhl).
It is not necessary to give a detailed description of Leisler's or the Hairy-winged Bat, for it is a miniature edition of the Great Bat in a darker binding. The length of the head and body is two and a half inches and of the tail an inch and a half. The wing expanse is thirteen inches and a quarter. The fur on the upper parts is a darker brown than that of the Great Bat, but it is lighter on the under parts. The skull is only half the size of that species, and the entire build is lighter and less massive. Owing to this difference in size it is not so likely to be mistaken on the wing for the Great Bat as for the Common Bat. It is without the strong odour of the Great Bat. It agrees with the latter in its high flight, but its movements are not so swift and are more zigzag.
It is one of the rarest of our Bats, and like the Great Bat a woodland species, making its dormitory preferably high up in a decayed oak, but also in the roofs and crevices of buildings. Its period of activity begins about the third week in April and lasts until near the end of September, when it goes into hibernation, but a little mild weather in winter will wake it up and bring it out for a flight. According to the observations of Mr. C. B. Moffat it flies for about a hundred minutes just after sunset, and for a similar period just before sunrise. Its food consists of flies, beetles, and moths. Dr. Alcock, who has brought this Bat down by shooting it an hour after sunset, found it so crammed with food that it did not appear physically possible for it to feed longer.
The distribution of Leisler's Bat does not agree at all with that of its near ally, the Great Bat. It has been obtained chiefly in the Valley of the Avon (Warwickshire); also in Yorkshire, Cheshire, and Norfolk. It does not appear to occur in Scotland; but it is reported as abundant in several parts of Ireland. It is a purely European species, occurring only from Central Europe westward.
Long-eared Bat (Plecotus auritus, Linn.)
The Long-eared is probably the best known of our Bats owing to the very distinctive character afforded by the huge ears, which are as long as the forearm and longer than the body. In addition, it is one of the commonest and most widely distributed of our Bats, and likely to be met with anywhere in the British Islands. It is, however, rarer in the North of Scotland than elsewhere. It is found nearly all over Europe.
The large and mobile ears give this Bat an appearance of size not justified by its small and delicate build. The head and body combined measure less than two inches, whilst the tail is only a fraction less than that measurement. The fact that no other European Bat has such an equipment renders a detailed description superfluous, for the ears at once distinguish this from all the other species. These ears have their bases joined across the forehead. Their form is a long oval with rounded tip. Except for fringes on the folds they are hairless. They are semi-transparent and have transverse folds. The tapering tragus is nearly half as long as the ear, and might be mistaken for it when the Bat hangs asleep; for then the ears are carefully folded and tucked away in the wing whilst the tragus sticks out beyond the inanimate-looking bundle. Sometimes, when awake, one ear is held at a different angle from the other; but in flight both ears are directed forward. Often, when it has caught an insect, the Long-eared Bat will come to the ground to eat it.
The soft, silky, brown fur is long and thick, especially on the shoulders, but does not extend far upon the wings. On the under parts it pales to yellowish or dirty white. The wings are both long and broad, and their expanse in flight is about ten inches. The long tail when folded forwards can touch the top of the head; its tip is slightly free from the interfemoral membrane, and when the Bat hooks itself up head downwards for sleep it serves as a third foot.
The Long-eared Bat is found chiefly among trees, though it frequently comes into open windows at night when its hunting is over. It flies among the branches of trees and examines the foliage for insects of all kinds. In early spring, when the sallows are in bloom and attracting swarms of insects, the Long-eared Bat is there also: fresh from hibernation and with a keen appetite. He hovers like a hawk over a favourable tree, and swoops down upon his selected prey. He appears in the evening usually about half an hour after the sun has departed, and apparently feeds during the greater part of the night; occasionally he is active in daylight. He appears to be at least partially migratory, for it has been observed that in summer a swarm will appear in a district where they are not noticeable as a rule, and after staying a few weeks disappear.
The single young one is born in June or July.
They are often found hibernating in clusters under house-roofs; but solitary individuals are also found in hollow trees and similar situations. Should the thermometer register 46° F. or more at any time during the winter, the Long-eared Bat awakes and makes a foraging flight—calling attention to his presence by his acute, shrill cry.
The dental formula is: i 2/3, c 1/1, p 2/3, m 3/3 = 36.
Barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus, Schreber).
One feels inclined to apologise for the poverty of language displayed in the heading above; though no one accepts responsibility for it—the fault lies with the Law of Priority. A strong point in the Linnean System of nomenclature was its binomial character—there were two words only in the name of every animal and plant, the first of the two indicating the genus in which it was grouped, and the second peculiar to the species. In recent years the extension of our knowledge of the world's fauna has led to the breaking up of many of the older genera and a regrouping of the species. In some cases the species name has been adopted to denote a new genus, and then the Law of Priority steps in and says the oldest species name must be retained, so that instead of a binomial we get a mere duplication. When this happens—as above—to be essentially the same as the only "popular" name the species has ever had the result is ludicrous.
Daubenton, who first described it (1759), called it the Bearded Bat (La Barbastelle) owing to tufts of black bristles on the glandular swellings on the muzzle. It is of slender form with long legs and small feet. The irregularly four-sided ears are relatively large, as broad as long, and united by their bases just behind the muzzle. The outer border has a deep notch; the lance-shaped tragus is half the length of the ear. The nostrils open in a naked depression.
The long, soft fur is a very dark brown, but many of the hairs on the upper surface have pale tips which produce a frosted appearance; on the lower surface such light tips are more numerous, and are specially evident along the middle line of the abdomen. The wing, ear, nose, and foot are dusky, appearing lighter than the furred regions.
The head and body measure about two inches, and the tail an inch and three-quarters. The expanse of wings is about ten and a third inches. This and the Long-eared Bat are the only British species whose ears connect; and the form of the ear in each is so distinct that there is no danger of confusing them. It is both solitary and silent in flight, which begins early in the evening, often in daylight; it holds its feet far apart and the tail decurved. In fine weather it flies high. During its diurnal rest it has been found in various retreats, often in company: under thatch of a shed, between the rafters and tiles of outhouses, behind a cottage shutter, in the crevices of walls and trees. Its voice is a metallic squeak or a buzz.
It has one premolar less on each side than the Long-eared Bat, so that its dental formula stands thus: i 2/3, c 1/1, p 2/2, m 3/3 = 34.
As a British Bat, the Barbastelle is found chiefly in the South of England, though it has been recorded from all the English counties between the Severn and the Wash; also Lincoln, Cheshire, and Cumberland (Carlisle). It appears to be absent from Scotland, Ireland, and the Isle of Man.
Fox (Vulpes canis, Linn.).
It is safe to say that, except in the wildest and most remote corners of our island, the Fox would have been placed long ago in the list of extinct British mammals, but for its careful preservation by the various "hunts." In recent times—that is since fox-hunting became a fashionable sport—the poultry and sheep-raising agriculturist has had to bear heavy losses in order that the local pack of fox-hounds may have its well-conditioned quarry at the proper season. As far back as the reign of Elizabeth an Act of Parliament was passed for the protection of grain, which incidentally provided for the payment of "xijd" for the head of every Fox or Gray that might be brought in to the officers appointed to receive them. To-day, outside the hunt areas, the killing of a Fox is considered a meritorious act, particularly in the northern mountain districts; in Cornwall, we have seen a loafer carrying a dead Fox around the villages and receiving pence from the grateful owners of domestic poultry.
The head and body of the Fox measures usually a trifle over two feet in length, and the bushy, white-tipped tail adds at least another foot to his total length when running; but examples have been recorded greatly exceeding these measurements. He stands only about fourteen inches high at the shoulder. The beautiful fur is russet or red-brown above and white on the under parts. The front of the limbs and the back of the ears are black. The sharp-pointed long muzzle, the erect ears, and the quick movements of the eye with its elliptical pupil combine to give him an alert, cunning appearance, which so impressed the ancient writers that they invented many stories of his astuteness. The Foxes ("Tods") of Scotland, although of the same species, have usually greyer fur than that of the English Fox. The Fox is an ancient Briton, and he was here at a period long anterior to the Mammoth's days.
The habits of the Fox are nocturnal, and save at the breeding season he leads a solitary life. The day is spent in an "earth"—a burrow underground, rarely made by himself, usually acquired from Badger or Rabbit; in the former case he has probably taken up quarters in the entrance to a Badger's earth and rendered it uninhabitable to the more cleanly beast by permeating it with the secretion from glands under the tail. In the case of the Rabbit-burrow the Fox gets undisputed possession by eating out those who constructed it. The Fox then stops all the exits except one, leaving that if possible that opens in a bramble thicket or the dense undergrowth of bracken on a hillside. From this stronghold he issues at dusk, and trots at a light easy pace along his accustomed trails, keeping a watchful eye for rabbit, hare, pheasant, partridge, hedgehog, squirrel, vole, frog—even snails and beetles. He sometimes takes to the seashore in quest of fish, crabs, and mussels. On winter nights he will prowl around the farms, looking for a hen-house whose door has not been properly secured; or for a fowl that is sleeping out in the copse. Sometimes a lamb is the victim, and in the mountain districts hunger will goad him to attack one of the small mountain sheep, especially if the vixen is hunting with him. If cornered he proves a hard fighter, and snaps like a wolf.
At night in January the scream of the vixen or she-fox, may be heard in appropriate places, and the yelping bark of the dog fox in answer to her invitation. About April the Vixen produces her litter of about four blind whelps. She is a model mother, unremitting in attention to their wants and education. They are without sight until ten days old. When nearly a month old they are taken out one night for exercise, and if suitable cover is found in the wood or on the moor among the heather, they may not return, though the vixen remains with them and teaches them hunting until the autumn, when the family party breaks up, each member going his or her own way; though they will not be fully grown until another year has passed. In fox-hunting countries artificial burrows are constructed in suitable places, of earth and stone, of which the expectant-mother vixen will avail herself. These are furnished in order that the cubs may be dug out with ease when they have reached a proper age for the huntsman's purpose.
The Fox is credited with resorting to a species of hypnotism to attain his ends. Seeing a party of rabbits feeding, and knowing that they will bolt to their holes on his approach, he starts rolling about at a safe distance to attract their attention; then like a kitten he will begin chasing his tail, whilst the silly rabbits gaze, spellbound, on the performance. At it the Fox continues without a pause, as though oblivious to the presence of spectators; but all the time he is contriving to get nearer, until a sudden straightening of his body enables him to grab the nearest rabbit in his jaws.
The Foxes of the northern hill country are a finer race than those of the southern woodlands. This, of course, is due to the fact that every man's hand is against them, and it is only the individuals of great cunning and superior physique that survive to continue their kind.
Dental formula: i 3/3, c 1/1, p 4/4, m 2/3 = 42.
Badger (Meles taxus, Boddaert).
In the old forestal days of Britain the Badger, Brock, Bawsen or Grey must have been a common beast. Like the Beaver—also a former British beast—he has left indelible marks in place-names, such as Brockham, Brockenhurst, Brockley, Brockholes, and many more. In the present day, by the majority of people, the Badger would be regarded almost as one of the extinct native fauna, only to be read of in books. But it is very far from being extinct; and the London naturalist who is determined to see it may have his wish gratified with a journey of no more than five and twenty miles, possibly less. It must be remembered, however, that the Badger is even more nocturnal in his habits than the Fox, retiring at dawn to his "set" deep in the earth, where he sleeps until dusk. This underground hollow may be ten feet or more below the surface, and besides the entrance slope it may have several passages and upper galleries, with probably a back door at some distance from the main entrance. In front of this aperture, and partly hiding it, is a mound of earth that was turned out when the excavation was made, and the size of this mound may be taken as an indication of the depth and extent of the habitation. It is no unusual thing for some of the upper passages communicating with the entrance to be tenanted by Foxes and—Rabbits! The proximity of the Badger's "set" may be ascertained sometimes, when rambling through the woods, by coming across a beech or birch tree whose smooth bark is scored vertically, and an idea of the size of the Badger may be obtained by noting the length of these marks. They are caused by the Badger "up-ending" and stretching his limbs to the full extent whilst he cleans and sharpens his claws, as the domestic cat does hers on a table leg. The scores of the Badger cubs may be found there also.
The rough-coated Badger measures from two and a half to three feet long, and stands about one foot at the shoulder. At a little distance he appears to be of a uniform grey colour, but more closely he is seen to be reddish-grey above and black beneath. The body is stout and broad, the muzzle pointed; the ears short, and tail 7 to 8 inches long. The soles of the feet are naked, and the claws of the forefeet are larger than those of the hind feet. His weight may be anything up to 40 lbs. The Badger is by no means particular as to the nature of his food: he is a general feeder, and most things appear to be to his liking, whether young rabbits, voles, hedgehogs, birds that have dropped from the nest, mice, snakes, lizards, grubs of wasps and humble-bees, for which he will rout out underground nests, and beetles from under bark or among decaying leaves. On the vegetable side he is known to hunt for fleshy roots, to pick up acorns and other fruit, and C. St. John found he had a liking for the bulbs of the Bluebell—that is to say, he frequently found them about the Badger's holes.
The female prepares a special lying-in chamber well furnished with moss and grass, and there in spring or summer the young cubs or "earth-pigs," three or four in number, are born blind and helpless. These are at first a silver-grey colour, but later they become dull brownish-yellow and finally darker blue-grey, when the characteristic black and white stripes appear on the cheeks. The blue-grey tint harmonises with the half-tones of the wood late in the evening, and the strong contrast between the black and white stripes fits in with the lights and shadows of the moonlit wood. The Badger is not a sprinter, and little of his animal food is obtained by running it down. The birds, voles, and rabbits he captures are mostly sickly or wounded, and he has been known to visit regularly, night after night, the ground under a rookery, in order to pick up luckless squabs that have fallen from the nests. He is said to be clever in springing traps without being caught, by the heroic plan of rolling upon them, and then walking off with the bait. His ordinary gait and form suggest the bear; and for many years naturalists classed him among bears, but his affinities are now known to be with the Otter and the Weasels. He is exceedingly clean in his personal habits, and to prevent defilement of his "set," digs pits in the neighbourhood for offensive waste.
If an ascertained Badger "set" be watched in the late evening, the occupant may be seen to put out his head and, elevating his snout, sniff at the air to ascertain whether it bears any enemy taint. If all is well the Badger emerges, perhaps followed by the cubs; and they follow the well-worn tracks that their feet have hardened, and hunt for food. St. John says: "Eggs are his delight, and a partridge's nest with seventeen or eighteen eggs must afford him a fine meal, particularly if he can surprise and kill the hen-bird also; snails and worms which he finds above ground during his nocturnal rambles are likewise included in his bill of fare."
In winter the Badger retires to a specially deep chamber, excavated below the nursery apartment, and prepared in autumn by bedding it with fallen leaves which ferment and keep up a moist warmth. The passages are blocked to keep out unwelcome visitors as well as cold, and when the cold renders food scarce the family retires and settles down to a long sleep. In any short spell of mild weather the Badgers will emerge and see what is to be picked up. The cubs taken young are easily tamed, and in response to kind treatment show a considerable amount of attachment to their owners. Happily for our national reputation, the brutal custom—it was called a "sport"—of badger-baiting has long been a thing of the past. Commending itself, as it did, very strongly to certain elements in our society, it is probable that it may have continued much longer but for the growing difficulty in obtaining victims.
The Badger's dental formula is: i 3/3, c 1/1, p 4/4, m 1/2 = 38. The minute first premolar in each jaw is frequently shed early, and may be missing from any adult skull examined.
Although the Badger is a distinctly local species, it is widely distributed in Britain and Ireland. In the latter country, where it is common, Badger hams are not an unknown delicacy in rustic larders. In Europe it extends from the south of Sweden to Italy.
Otter (Lutra vulgaris, Erxleben).
The Otter is by no means the nearly extinct beast that is commonly imagined; but he who would see it in a wild state must seek it by night along the banks of remote streams or tarns, where there are alder-holts, or in the neighbourhood of the East Anglian Broads. It may sometimes be found by day, by searching the caves on some remote part of our coast where the cliffs are rocky and the shore strewn with boulders. Even so near the congested haunts of men as the upper Thames, Otters are occasionally trapped.
If one has the good fortune to get a good view of the Otter in such places it will be found to be a very different creature from the specimens in zoological gardens. The long, lithe body, clad in fine smooth fur and ending in the long thick tapering tail, gives it a very graceful appearance in the water; and, of course, it is a most expert and agile swimmer. The head is broad and flattened from above, the face short, the black eyes small but bright, and the short, rounded ears hairy. The ears are closed when under water. The legs are short and powerful, and all the feet are completely webbed. There are five toes on each, with short pointed claws, those of the hind feet flat and nail-like. The tail is somewhat flattened from the sides, and forms a most efficient rudder. Below its thick base there is a pair of glands which secrete a fetid fluid. The fur is of two kinds: a fine, soft, under-fur of whitish-grey with brown tips, among which are interspersed longer, thicker, and glossy hairs. Water does not penetrate the under-fur. On the upper parts and the outer sides of the limbs, these longer hairs, which have a grey base, have rich brown ends; but on the cheeks, throat, and under parts they are brownish-grey. At a little distance it appears to be of a uniform dusky brown tint. White, cream-coloured, and spotted examples are on record.
The total length is about four feet, of which about one-third is tail. The weight of a full-grown male is between 20 lbs. and 25 lbs., but occasionally it exceeds 27 lbs.—Pennant records one of 40 lbs.! The female weighs less than the male by about four pounds. The dental formula is i 3/3, c 1/1, p 4/3, m 1/2 = 36. The molar teeth have sharp tubercles on the crown.
Where the presence of Otters is suspected, a keen look-out should be kept for their footprints—known as "seal" or "spur" (spoor)—on moist ground, which may help us to find its "holt" or lair, which will probably be a hole in the bank with the entrance under water and overhung by alders and rank herbage. There may also be an alternative way in at the back of the bank above water. Here the Otter rests secluded in the daytime, coiled up like a dog with its tail around its face. The "spraints," or droppings, are also a good clue for the observer. A short distance in from the mouth of the tunnel, a side-chamber will be found, which is the family midden.
About the time of sunset the Otter wakes up, utters his flute-like whistle, enters the water, and hunts favourite pools in the stream for fish, which it secures by diving below them. These are always brought to the bank to be consumed. The backbone is first bitten through behind the gills; and where fish are large (salmon) and plentiful the Otter often contents himself with a mouthful from the shoulder. At other times he may eat methodically from this point to the tail, which is always left. Apart from the fact that he has to make frequent visits to the surface in order to breathe, he is as much at home in the water as a fish, swimming in circles where the water is deep, and his movements in that element are as graceful as those of the fishes he pursues. Not that his diet is restricted to fish: he is very fond of the river crayfish, and will turn over every stone in his section of the stream in his search for them. He is known also to consume frogs, which he carefully skins before eating them. Occasionally he indulges in wild duck or moorhen; and when he hunts on shore may catch a rabbit unawares, a rat or a vole. When he goes down stream he floats with the current his forelegs pressed against his sides and only the upper part of his head with eyes, ears, and nostrils exposed.
In summer when the water is low in the streams, he travels across country from pool to pool by night, seeking some estuary or the open coast. Although so obviously adapted for an aquatic life, the Otter can travel with speed on land, and it has been estimated that in one night it will cover about fifteen miles. On arrival at the coast it will seek some bat-haunted cave that has been favoured by its kind for generations, and will work the shallow waters for flat fish, bass, crabs, and mussels. From here also it will make excursions over a considerable area of neighbouring country by means of the creeks and marshes. In autumn it will return to its favourite stream and feed royally on migrating eels that are on their way to the sea. It does not hibernate. In winter when fishing may be poor, it may be constrained to dig out the mole and the vole from their underground retreats to provide a meal, and is even glad of hibernating insects, either in the larval or pupal condition. It also shows a fondness for the freshwater mussel (Anodonta cygnea).