690 THE CARNIVORES 



It is not the mainland of Sanak island which is frequented by the sea-otters,, 

 but the small islets and reefs lying to the southward and westward at a distance of 

 about five miles, and thence stretching seaward, most of which are left bare at low 

 water. Either on these islets and reefs, or, in calm weather, in the open sea around, 

 the sea-otters are to be found. 



The female sea-otter has only two teats, and produces but a single 



young one at a birth, so that the increase of the species can be, at the 

 best, but slow. The young may apparently be born at any season of the year, and do 

 not attain maturity till four or five years old. Writing of the general habits of the 

 species, Mr. Elliot observes that the " mother sleeps in the water on her back, with 

 her young clasped between her fore-paws. The pup cannot live without its mother, 

 though frequent attempts have been made by the natives to raise them, as they of- 

 ten capture them alive, but, like some other species of wild animals, it seems to be 

 so deeply imbued with fear of man that it invariably dies from self-imposed star- 

 vation. 



The remarkable difference in the structure of the cheek-teeth of the 



sea-otter from those of the true otters, clearly indicates that there 

 must be an equally marked difference in the food of the two; and the rounded prom- 

 inences on the crowns of those of the present species would further suggest that they 

 were adapted for pounding and crushing hard substances. As a matter of fact, Mr. 

 Elliot tells us that the food of the sea-otters " is almost entirely composed of clams, 

 mussels, and sea urchins, of which they are very fond, and which they break by 

 striking the shells together, held in each fore-paw, sucking out the contents as they 

 are fractured by these efforts; they also undoubtedly eat crabs, and the juicy tender 

 fronds of kelp or seaweed, and fish. They are not polygamous, and more than one 

 individual is seldom seen at a time when out at sea. The flesh is very unpalatable, 

 highly charged with a rank smell and flavor. They are playful, it would seem, for 

 I am assured by several old hunters that they have watched the sea-otter for half an 

 hour as it lay upon its back in the water and tossed a piece of seaweed up in the air 

 from paw to paw, apparently taking great delight in catching it before it could fall 

 into the water. It will also play with its young for hours. The quick hearing and 

 acute smell possessed by the sea-otter are not equaled by any other creature in the 

 territory. They will take alarm and leave from the effects of a small fire four or five 

 miles to the windward of them; and the footstep of man must be washed by many 

 tides before its trace ceases to alarm the animal, and drive it from landing." 



In Alaska the sea-otter is often captured by shooting it in the head 



with a rifle bullet when the animal is sporting in the surf; the boom- 

 ing of the surf deadening the report of the rifle, and thus allowing successive shots. 

 to be taken till one is successful. An older plan is, however, for a party to go out 

 in canoes when a sea-otter has been observed, and by arranging themselves in a 

 circle around its last point of disappearance, so harass the creature on its subse- 

 quent emergence that eventually it becomes exhausted from sheer inability to 

 breathe. The third method is by knocking the animal on the head with heavy 

 clubs; but this can only be done during the winter at such times when strong gales. 

 are blowing from the northward. Then, writes Mr. Elliot, the boldest of the 



