452 SPORTING ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST. 



pouuds sterling in the London market, according to its 

 size and condition. The latter price is paid only for the 

 largest size and the finest quality those which show the 

 whitish or silvery hairs scattered through the denser black 

 or blackish-brown. 



This beautiful creature resembles its congener of the 

 rivers and lakes in outline, but differs from it in some par- 

 ticulars. Its forepaws are larger and stronger, and the 

 webbed hind-feet are covered with a thick coarse hair, so 

 that its web is not like that of the beaver. It possesses 

 most formidable teeth, the grinders being round, broad, 

 and thick, to enable it to crush bivalves and other hard 

 substances with facility. It lives entirely on the marine 

 denizens of the sea, but its favorite food seems to be the 

 larger species of fish. 



Though rarely found on land, except when it visits some 

 wild and wave-lashed rocky islet to produce its young, yet 

 it is sometimes seen near the shore in salt-water inlets, and 

 is then readily caught by cutting off its retreat to the sea 

 by means of boats or canoes, and forcing it shoreward. 

 Being exceedingly timid, it is readily alarmed, and dives 

 immediately on seeing any strange object approaching it 

 in the water ; hence it is rather difficult to capture. 



It sleeps in the water, generally on its back ; and if the 

 female has her cubs with her, she may, on awaking from 

 her slumber, play with them in the most affectionate man- 

 ner, now holding them aloft in her paws, then rolling over 

 and under the waves with them in the most sportive way 

 imaginable. This animal generally travels in families, it 

 being rare to see large shoals together, yet groups are met 

 at intervals, though they, apparently, have no common pur- 

 pose in their migrations. They are hunted regularly by 

 the Indians when the opportunity presents itself, but it is 

 an unusual occurrence to see the whites devote much atten- 

 tion to the business, as it is too uncertain to please them. 

 Some of the Pacific tribes go far out of sight of land, prob- 

 ably fifty miles or more, in their pursuit, but that is gener- 

 ally when they are known to be seeking the rocky islands 



