126 RESOUKCES OF CALIFORNIA. 



times five feet long from the point of the nose to the tip of 

 the tail. When in the water, its hair is at times beautifully 

 iridescent. 



The sea-otter {Enliydra niarina) is larger than the Califor- 

 niau otter, and is also carnivorous. It generally makes its 

 home near islands, and roams about in the water within ten 

 or twenty miles of land. The sea-otter was at one time very 

 abundant along the coast of California, and it was one of the 

 attractions Avhich induced the Russian Fur Company to estab- 

 lish a post at Fort Ross, in latitude 38° 30', where a number 

 of Aleutian Indians were employed from 1812 to 1840 in the 

 otter fishery. They w^ould start out in their little single ca- 

 noes, made water-proof with a covering of fish-bladders, so 

 that there was no danger of their sinking if the sea should 

 sweep over them, and thus they w^ould go out fifty miles to 

 sea and travel up and down the coast, usually coming home 

 well laden with sea-otter skins worth sixty or eighty dollars 

 each. The sea-otter is still abundant on the southern coast, 

 and there are men in Santa Barbara county who make it a 

 business to hunt them. 



" The otter," says Mr. W. A. Wallace, " is very harmless, 

 and always seeks to escape from human observation. When 

 attacked they make no resistance, but endeavor to escape by 

 sinking in the sea. If closely pursued and there is no escape, 

 they scold and grin like an angry cat. If they escape the ene- 

 my, as soon as they are safe they turn and deride him with 

 various diverting tricks, such as standing on end in the water, 

 jumping over the waves, holding the paws over the eyes, as 

 if to shade them from the sun while looking at the enemy — 

 then lying flat upon the back and stroking the belly. In their 

 escape they carry their sucklings in their mouths, and drive 

 before them those not fully grown. They were formerly taken, 

 by the Russians and Indians, by means of nets, clubs, and 

 spears. The young are said to be delicate eating, the flesh 

 resembling lamb. The flesh of the old ones is insipid and 

 tough. 



