390 SPORTING ADVENTURES 



habitat extends from Alaska to California. This lover of 

 boisterous waves is probably the most valuable fur animal 

 known, its skin being 1 worth from forty to ninety pounds 

 sterling 1 in the London market, according- to its size and con- 

 dition. 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 particulars. 

 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 favourite 

 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 1 , 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 1 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 manner, 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 sec 

 large shoals together, yet groups are met at intervals, though 

 they, apparently, have no common purpose 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 attention to the business, as it is too uncertain 

 to please them. Some of the Pacific tribes go far out of sight 

 of land, probably fifty miles or more, in their pursuit, but 

 that is generally when they are known to be seeking the rocky 



