THE SEA-OTTER AND ITS EXTERMINATION 221 



by the United States, the Russian-American Company had 

 the practical control of the Alaskan territory, and formu- 

 lated regulations for otter-hunting, by which the total 

 catch was limited and a restriction placed upon the number 

 captured by individual natives. 



In the earlier days the sea-otters were in the habit of 

 coming ashore, both to feed on the sea-urchins and shell- 

 fish thrown up by the tide, and also for the purposes of 

 repose and breeding. The otters were either captured in 

 nets or killed by means of spears or clubs. Only males 

 were, however, then slaughtered ; the hunters being taught 

 to distinguish the females, even when in the water, by the 

 difference in the colour and shape of the head and neck. 

 And when hunting on shore the utmost care was taken to 

 prevent disturbing the animals more than necessary, and 

 also to leave as few traces as possible of human presence. 

 Notwithstanding these regulations, the sea-otters con- 

 tinued to diminish in number; and, in addition to the 

 Pribiloffs, had already disappeared from certain districts 

 at the date of the transference of Alaska to America. 

 After this date, although the hunters for several years 

 adhered to some extent to the old rules, the destruction 

 became much more rapid, and all precautions for the 

 preservation of the breed were ignored. Numerous cod- 

 fisheries were established on some of the banks ; and the 

 people thus collected, together with the refuse left on the 

 shore, rendered many districts unsuitable to the otter. 

 Moreover, there were no regulations to prevent white 

 men from killing as many animals as they pleased ; and 

 as the sea-otter was by far the most valuable inhabitant 

 of the shores, it naturally came in for the largest share 

 of attention. 



Harassed on all sides — netted in the sea, clubbed and 



