LATAX. 537 



1O3. La tax. 



T =3- f 1=1. p 3-3. \f '-' 7 - 



i '2-2' U 'I-I> ^'3-3' M '2-2 3 2 ' 



Latax Gloger, Nov. Act. Phys. Med. Acad. Caes. Leop. Carol., xm, 

 1827, pt. 2, p. 511. Type Lutra marina Erxl. = Mustela 

 lutris Linnaeus. 

 Pusa Oken, Lehrb. Naturg., 1816, Th. in, 2te Abth., p. 986. 



(nee Scopoli.) 

 Enhydra Flem. Phil. Zool., n, 1822, p. 187. (nee Enhydris 



Merrem. Rept.) 



Only four incisors in lower jaw; molars massive, cusps rounded, 

 smooth; upper molar and posterior upper premolar somewhat oval; 

 anterior lower premolar largest of the lower teeth; skull similar to 

 that of Lutra; hind feet larger, flat, fin-like; fifth toe longest, rest 

 diminishing to the first; claws moderate; tail obtuse, one-fourth the 

 length of head and body. 



507. lutris (Mustela}, Linn., Syst. Nat. I, 1758, p. 45; i, 1766, 

 p. 66. Elliot, Syn. N. Am. Mamm., 1901, p. 354. 



marina Erxleb., Syst. Regn. Anim., 1777, p. 445. 



orientalis Oken, Lehrb. Natur., in, 1816, p. 986. 



stelleri Less., Man. Mamm., 1827, p. 156. 



gracilis Fisch., Syn. Mamm., 1829, p. 229. 

 SEA OTTER. 



Type locality. "America Septentrionali." 



Geogr. Distr. Coasts of Bering Sea and of the North Pacific 

 Ocean, south to coasts of northern Lower California in the Kelp beds 

 of San Tomas and San Quentin bays. Nearly extinct on American 

 and Mexican shores. 



Genl. Char. Hind feet very broad, webbed soles furry; fore feet 

 very small, palms naked; tail flattish, smooth, one-fourth length of 

 body; only four lower incisors. 



Color. Adult: black, frosted with white-tipped hairs; head and 

 neck grayish white or yellowish white. 



Measurements. Total length about 1050; tail vertebrae, 330; hind 

 foot, 150; width, 100. Skull: occipito-nasal length, in; Hensel, 109; 

 zygomatic width, 98; width across postorbital processes, 48; inter- 

 orbital constriction, 28; mastoid breadth, 96; length of nasals, anky- 

 losed, about 20; palatal length, 56; length of braincase, 62; length 

 of first upper molar, 7; width, u; length of first lower molar, 15; 

 width 13; length of mandible, angle to alveoli of incisors, 75; height, 

 angle to condyle, 2 1 ; angle to top of coronoid processes, 44. 



