THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 



broui^ht feveral pieces, and forae entire fkins of cubs; from "778. 



" May. 



which their fize could not be determined. We alfo found 

 the wolverene, or quickhatch, which had very bright co- 

 lours J a larger fort of ermine than the common one, which 

 is the fame as at Nootka, varied with a brown colour, and 

 with fcarcely any black on its tail. The natives alfo 

 brought the fkin of the head of fome very large animal j but 

 it could not be pofitively determined what it was; though, 

 from the colour and fhagginefs of the hair, and its unlike- 

 nefs to any land animal, we judged it might probably be 

 that of the large male urfme feal, or fea-bear. But one of 

 the moft beautiful fkins, and which fcems peculiar to this 

 place, as we never faw it before, is that of a fmall animal 

 about ten inches long, of a brown or rufly colour on the 

 back, with a great number of obfcurc whitifh fpecks ; and 

 the fides of a blueifh afli colour, alfo with a few of thcfe 

 fpecks. The tail is not above a third of the length of its 

 body, and is covered with hair of a whitifli colour at the 

 edges. It is no doubt the fame with thofe called fpotted 

 field mice, by Mr. Staihlin*, in his lliort account of the New 

 Northern Archipelago. But whether they be really of the 

 moufe kind, or a fquirrel, we could not tell, for want of per- 

 fedt fkins ; though Mr. Anderfon was inclined to think that 

 it is the fame animal defcribed under the name of the Cafan 

 marmot, by Mr. Pennant. The number of fkins we found 

 here, points out the great plenty of thefe feveral animals 

 juft mentioned ; but it is remarkable, that we neither faw 

 the flvins of the moofe nor of the common deer. 



Of the birds mentioned at Nootka, we found here only 

 the white-headed eagle; the fliag; the alcyoti, or great king- 



* In Iiis Account of Kodjak, p. 32 and 34. 



Vol. II. 3 C fiflier, 



377 



