MAMMALS. 253 



They sleep lying upon their backs in the water, and at such times the female carries her young 

 clasped in her fore-arms. 



They are shorter and more heavily built animals than the land otter, and according to Elliott 

 are more like a beaver, with the skin in loose folds. 



They range from 3J to 4 feet long in the flesh, but after the skin is removed by a single cut 

 across the hind legs it is turned and stretched until nearly double its original length. 



Many of the finest skins have a grizzled or silvery gray muzzle, and the gray sometimes 

 extends to the nape, but the rest of the body is covered with a beautiful, soft, dark, velvety brown 

 or brownish-black fur, with scattered white-tipped hairs over the body in some cases ; in others the 

 color is unbroken. 



The natives say that the single young one is brought forth in fine weather on kelp beds and 

 that the young are born in every month of the year. They are odd little grizzled or brownish 

 animals at this time and it is not until the third year that their fur becomes prime. 



The females are very attentive to their young and protect them when threatened by clasping 

 the young in their fore paws and turning their own back to the danger. Elliott's account of their 

 playfulness, both with their young and with small objects, such as fragments of kelp, which they 

 toss about while lying on their backs in the water, was corroborated by several persons well 

 acquainted with the animal. 



Their food consists of shell-fish, sea urchins, kelp, aijd perhaps fish. 



In former times this species ranged over nearly all of Bering Sea, but they are unknown 

 there at present. 



From the Eskimo of Norton Sound and Bering Straits I had definite accounts of them, and 

 from the latter place some of the people claim that these animals occurred there very rarely up 

 to within a comparatively few years. The Sea Otter's range is steadily decreasing. They are now 

 limited to the Pacific or southern side of the Aleutian chain and thence south along the coast, 

 but are rarely found on the southern part of their range, where a merciless fusilade is kept up 

 whenever one approaches the coast. They are numerous at present only at the extreme end of 

 the Aleutian chain in Alaska. There, about Sanak Island and the Shumagin group to the east- 

 ward, is their center of abundance. The once prolific grounds at the extreme western end of the 

 Aleutian chain is now almost entirely deserted by the otters. 



The fur of these animals has greatly increased in value during the past few years. Prom 

 $80 to $100 in cash were paid by traders to the Aleuts in 1881 for particularly fine skins, and 

 from this down to a dollar or two for very young, poor skins. The finest skin sold in London from 

 the catch of 1880 brought £95 sterling or about $475 -a value unequalled by any other fur-bearing 

 animal in the world. 



Arguing from the fact that the annual yield of Sea Otter skins has been about the same for 

 some years past it is claimed by some that the number of the animals must be the same, or the 

 supply equal to the demand. This idea is erroneous, however, since, with the increase in value 

 of its fur, there has been a steady and perhaps disproijortional increase in the vigor and per- 

 sistence with which its pursuit has been carried on. Taking this in consideration it is evident 

 that under existing conditions the Sea Otter is doomed to rapid extermination. White men with 

 improved rifles are joining in the chase, and some of them make an income of several thousand 

 dollars a year as a return for their marksmanship. Certain Treasury regulations restricting the 

 capture of these animals already exist but they are imperfect and almost entirely ignored. The 

 Aleuts depend almost wholly upon this animal for their support, and once without the Sea Otter 

 they will become dependent on the G-overnment for a large portion of their supplies each year. 

 These animals could be as thoroughly protected as is the fur seal if proper regulations were framed 

 and provisions made for their rigid enforcement. All the expenses arising from such protection 

 could be met by a tax of one or two dollars upon each skin. 



