SEA-OTTER. 149 



The chief habitat of the Sea-Otter is the Aleutian 

 Islands and along the western shore of Alaska. It is 

 also found in the Island of Kadiak and along the coast 

 of Vancouver Island, but it is not so numerous here as 

 formerly. A few are also found in Kamschatka and in 

 Japan. Otter Island, in the Pribjdov group, was 

 formerly a favourite resort of this animal, but now it is 

 never found there. 



Elliott says that the Sea-Otter _is most abundant on 

 Saanak and the Chernaboor Islands, situate at the com- 

 mencement of the Aleutian chain. 



The colour is very varied, the general shade being 

 dark brown. In many animals this verges into black,, 

 and in some to a light brown or mouse colour. The fur 

 is generally interspersed with white hairs of greater 

 length than the fur. According to the number of these 

 white hairs, the skin is more or less valuable. Many 

 animals have a white head, and are more or less white 

 underneath. Some examples are too abundantly fur- 

 nished with these hairs, and are therefore of less value. 



There is no recorded instance of a wholly white Sea- 

 Otter, but black and very dark brown are by no means 

 uncommon. A peculiar and rare instance of colouring 

 is a white bar of fur across the tail. 



The young are covered with long white, fluffy, coarse 

 hair, and have a much thinner pelt. In the adult 

 animal the pelt is thick and heavy ; the feet are webbed, 

 covered with very short dark brown hair, and furnished 

 with very short claws ; the whiskers are usually white, 

 and not very numerous ; it has four teats ; the fur is 

 very rich and soft, consisting of an under fur of bluish 

 colour, covered with slightly longer hairs. 



The skins from Columbia and Vancouver Island are 

 usually of a yellowish hue. 



