46 THE OTTER. 



ever, is the sea-otter, that which has allured 

 merchants hither from distant countries, and 

 which, if such intercourse should improve the 

 morals and intellects of the natives, may be 

 considered as their benefactor. This animal 

 inhabits only the north-west coast of America, 

 between the latitudes of 30° and 60°, in smaller 

 numbers the Aleutian islands, and formerly the 

 coast of Kamtschatka and the Kurile islands. 

 Its skin makes the finest fur in the world, and 

 is as highly prized by the Chinese as by the 

 Europeans. Its value advances yearly, with 

 the increasing scarceness of the animal; it will 

 soon entirely disappear, and exist only in de- 

 scription to decorate our zoological works. 



Attempts have been made to identify the sea 

 and river otter, because there is a considerable 

 resemblance in their form ; but the skin of the 

 former is without comparison finer than the lat- 

 ter, which inhabits only lakes and rivers, where 

 the sea-otter is never found. 



They are often seen on the surface of the 

 water, many miles from land, lying asleep on 

 their backs, with their young, of^ which only two 

 are produced at a birth, lying over them sucking. 



