1778. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. c 2^ i 



skirted with a membrane. There seemed also a 

 greater variety in the colour of the skins than is men- 

 tioned by the describers of the Russian sea-otters. 

 These changes of colour certainly take place at the 

 different gradations of life. The very young ones 

 had brown hair, which was coarse, with very little 

 fur underneath ; but those of the size of the entire 

 animal, which came into our possession, and just 

 described, had a considerable quantity of that sub- 

 stance ; and both in that colour and state the sea- 

 otters seem to remain till they have attained their full 

 growth. After that they Jose their black colour, and 

 assume a deep brown or sooty colour ; but have then 

 a greater quantity of very fine fur, and scarcely any 

 long hairs. Others, which we suspected to be still 

 older, were of a chesnut brown ; and a few skins 

 were seen that had even acquired a perfectly yellow 

 colour. The fur of these animals, as mentioned in 

 the Russian accounts, is certainly softer and finer 

 than that of any others we know of; and therefore 

 the discovery of this part of the continent of North 

 America, where so valuable an article of commerce 

 may be met with, cannot be a matter of indifference.* 

 Birds, in general, are not only rare as to the dif- 

 ferent species, but very scarce as to numbers ; and 

 these few are so shy, that, in all probability, they 

 are continually harassed by the natives; perhaps to 

 eat them as food, certainly to get possession of their 

 feathers, which they use as ornaments. Those which 

 frequent the woods, are crows and ravens, not at all 

 different from our English ones ; a blueish jay or 

 magpie ; common wrens, which are the only singing 

 bird that we hear ; the Canadian, or migrating thrush; 

 and a considerable number of brown eagles, with 

 white heads and tails ; which, though they seem 



* Mr. Coxe, on the authority of Mr. Pallas, informs us that 

 the old and middle-aged sea-otter skins are sold at Kiachta, by the 

 Russians to the Chinese, from 80 to 100 rubles a skin; that is, 

 from 161. to 201. each. See Coxes Russian Discoveries, p. 13. 



