

CARNIVORA. 255 



to 60 north, and east longitude 126 and 150 ; afford- 

 ing still a lucrative trade with China, where the skins 

 are much prized. 



The second species, of which we gave a figure in 

 Griffith's Cuvier, is a large white-headed animal, 

 with vinous brown fur ; hut, we think, clearly dis- 

 tinguished by the very short hind legs, terminating 

 in small webbed feet, not so long as the tail, which 

 appears to be depressed considerably, and may act 

 in the water like the flukes of a whale. We take 

 it to be the " variete A. Loutre marine a tete 

 blanche" of Desmarets. The specimen is in the 

 museum of Paris. 



The third appears to have been disregarded by 

 late zoologists, though noticed by Mr. Pennant, Hist, 

 of Quad. vol. ii. p. 85, under the name of Slender 

 Otter. We found two skins of this species in the 

 stores of G. Astor, Esq., at New York, and fancied 

 at first that their extreme slenderness and length 

 were the result of the manner of stripping them off 

 the body. They are about 3 feet from nose to tail, 

 and that organ 12 or 14 inches more. The head is 

 small ; apertures of the eyes diminutive ; the exter- 

 nal ears almost rudimental ; girth of the body 13^ 

 inches; fore legs 3J inches; toes palmated; hind 

 legs 4 inches, with the palms wider and fully web- 

 bed. The colour is, by Pennant, said to be a rich 

 chestnut-brown; but those we saw were rufous 

 brown, and he assigns them Staten Land) in the 

 Southern Pacific, for habitat, unless there be a mis- 

 take, for we understood Mr. Astor's to be brought 



