T H E P A C I F I C O C E A N. 29^ 



black. The porpoife is iVig phocena. I have chofen to refer '"^ 

 to this clafs the fca-otter, as living moilly in the water. It 

 might have been fufficient to have meurioned, that this 

 animal abounds here, as it is fully defcribed in difFerent 

 books, taken from the accounts of the Ruffian adventurers 

 in their expeditions Eaftward from Ivamtfchatka, if there had 

 not been a fmall diflcrence in one that we faw. We, for 

 fome time, entertained doubts, whether the many ficins 

 which the natives brought, really belonged to this animal ; as 

 our only reafon for being of that opinion, was founded on 

 the fize, colour, and finenefs of the fur; till a fliort while 

 before our departure, when a whole one, that had been jull 

 killed, was purchafed from fome Grangers who came to 

 barter; and of this Mr. Webber made a drawing. It was 

 rather young, weighing only tweniy-five pounds ; of a 

 fliining or gloily black colour ; but many of the hairs being 

 tipt with white, gave it a greyifli caft at firft figlit. The face, 

 throat, and breafl: were of a yellowifli white, or very liglit 

 brown colour, v;!iich, in many of the fkins, extended the 

 whole length of the belly. It had fix cutting teeth in each 

 jaw ; two of thofe of the lower jaw being very minute, and 

 placed without, at the bafc of the two middle ones. In 

 thefe circumftances, it feems to difagree with thofe found 

 by the Ruffians ; and alfo in not having the outer toes of 

 the hind feet fkirted with a membrane. There feemed alfo 

 a greater variety in the colour of the flcins, than is men- 

 tioned by the defcribers of the Ruflian fea-otters. Thefe 

 changes of colour certainly take place at the difi'erent gra- 

 dations of life. The very young ones had brown hair, 

 which was coarfe, with very little fur underneath ; but thofe 

 of the lize of the entire animal, which came into our pof- 

 feffion, and jull defcribed, had a confidcrable quantity of 



that 



