OCEANIC MAMMALS 423 



Islands, formerly a favorite resort for them; the residents 

 there see them not infrequently. There is said, however, to be 

 a small amount of poaching by Japanese vessels, for much of 

 these coasts are uninhabited and can not readily be patrolled. 

 With regard to the sea otter on the coast of California 

 Grinnell, writing in 1933, observed that, though formerly 

 abundant about the islands and open seashore the whole length 

 of the State, it was then rare but that nevertheless "individuals 

 have been reported as seen almost every year off coasts of 

 Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties. Last actual speci- 

 men" taken from near Monterey, September 9, 1915. On the 

 Oregon coast the species was apparently exterminated half a 

 century ago, for the last report given by Bailey (1936) is for 

 1876. Very recently a considerable herd appeared off Mon- 

 terey, Calif., and formed the subject of interesting and valuable 

 studies by Edna M. Fisher (1939). The animals were first 

 noticed on March 19, 1938, off the mouth of Bixby Creek and 

 attracted much attention. After about two weeks they moved 

 slightly farther northward but remained in the general vicinity 

 at least into early September. A careful count and estimate 

 placed the number in this gtoup as slightly less than 100, 

 about 94 or fewer having been made out on various occasions. 

 Miss Fisher's studies and sketches add greatly to a knowledge 

 of the habits of the animal. The food secured by the otters 

 was found to be red abalones, sea-urchins, and crabs; occa- 

 sionally they nibble at the kelp. No evidence of their feeding 

 on mussels was observed. These notes corroborate those of 



Sea otter (Enhydra lutris) 



