THE SEA OTTER 221 



authentic cases, "^ after ten to fourteen days they grow as lean 

 as a skeleton, become sick and feeble, and will not leave the 

 shore. In flight^^^ they take the suckHng young in the mouth, 

 but the grown-up ones they drive before them. If they have the 

 luck to escape they begin, as soon as they are in the water, to 

 mock their pursuers in such a manner that one cannot look on 

 without particular pleasure. Now they stand upright in the 

 water like a man and jump up and down with the waves and 

 sometimes hold the fore foot over the eyes, as if they wanted to 

 scrutinize you closely in the sun;"^ now they throw themselves 

 on their back and with the front feet rub the belly and the 

 pudenda as do monkeys;"^ then they throw the young ones into 

 the water and catch them again, etc. If a sea otter is overtaken^^o 

 and nowhere sees any escape it blows and hisses like an angry 

 cat. When struck it prepares itself for death by turning on the 

 side, draws up the hind feet, and covers the eyes with the fore 

 feet. When dead it lies like a dead person, with the front feet 

 crossed over the breast. 



The food of the sea otter consists of marine crustaceans, 

 mollusks, small fishes, a little seaweed, also meat. I have no 

 doubt that if one were not to grudge the expense, ^^i ^ few of 

 these animals could be brought to Russia and made tame; 

 indeed, they would multiply perhaps in a pond or river, for 

 they care but little for the sea water, and I have seen that they 

 stay for several days in lakes and rivers for the fun of it. More- 

 over, this animal deserves from us all the greatest reverence, as 

 for more than six months it served us almost exclusively as food 

 and at the same time as medicine for the scurvy-stricken.122 



116 Instead of "as we observed from rather authentic cases" the MS 

 has "as [I] came to know on several occasions." 



11' Instead of "In flight" the MS has "When frightened." 



118 Instead of "as if . . . in the sun" the MS has "and look at you 

 as if the sun troubled them." 



119 After "front feet" the MS has only "rub the nose." 



120 Instead of "overtaken" the MS has "attacked." 



121 The MS has "the slight expense." 



122 Instead of "for the scurv^'-stricken" the MS has "for the sick." 



