' THE SEA OTTER. 29 



volumes, and all we can do in the present connection is to refer to some of the more 

 recent literature (Biichner, Die Abbildungen der nordischen Seekuh, M6m. Ac. Imp. 

 Sc. St. Petetsb., 7 ser., xxxTin, 1891, No. 7.— Stejneger, Proc. TJ.. S. Nat. Mus., 1883, 

 pp. 78-86; 1884, pp, 181-189.— Stejneger, On the Extermination of the Great Northern 

 Sea Cow, Am. Geogr. Soc. Bull., No. 4, 1886, pp. 317-328.— Stejneger, How the Great 

 Northern Sea Cow {Bytina) Became Exterminated, Amer. Natural., xxi, Dec, 1887,. 

 pp. 1047-1054). 



The sea lion {JEumetopias stelleri) was formerly quite abundant, but has now 

 become nearly extinct on both islands, though still numerous in certain localities on 

 the Kamchatkan coast. In 1895 I saw only one individual on Sivutchi Kamen at the. 

 North Eookery, Bering Island, but during the winter of 1896 nine sea lions were killed 

 there. 



The fur-seal {Oallotaria ursina) being the chief subject of this report, needs no 

 further mention in this connection. 



The fate of the sea otter [Latax lutris) in the Commander Islands is highly 

 instructive and interesting. When Bering and his unfortunate followers landed on 

 Bering Island they found the sea otters so numerous that these animals furnished 

 food for the entire crew during the whole winter. On their return to Kamchatka the 

 following year (1742) they brought with them more than 700 skins of this costly fur. 

 Then followed a period of reckless slaughter of these animals by the rapacious 

 promyshleniks. Thus, in 1745, Bassof and Trapeznikof secured 1,600 skins; in 1748 

 about 1,350 were killed. The result was that within a very few years the sea otter 

 almost disappeared from Bering Island, for Tolstykh's expedition obtained only 47 

 during the winter of 1749-50; Drushinin's men, in 1754^55, took only 5; while in the 

 account of Tolstykh's second expedition, winter of 1756-57, it is expressly said that 

 "no sea otters showed themselves that year." It is interesting to note that even in 

 those days Copper Island offered a safer retreat for the sea otter, since Yugof, who 

 also visited that island, returned home in 1754 with; 790 skins. 



While not actually and literally exterminated on Bering Island — Trapeznikof s 

 expedition of 1762-03 secured 20 otters there — it did not become common there again, 

 except possibly during an alleged sudden reappearance in 1772, until after the aban- 

 donment of the island, when the Eussian- American company was organized. Upon 

 the recolonization of the island the otters were found common in places ; thus it is 

 said that in 1827 no less than 200 otters were killed in one week at the Eeef near the 

 present Nikolski village (Slunin, Promysl. Kamch. Sakh. Komand. Ostr., 1895, p. 103). 

 But the reckless slaughter of former days was resumed, and the sea otter long ago 

 ceased to be a regular inhabitant of that island. Occasionally a solitary individual 

 strays over from Copper Island, where the same careful management which resulted 

 in the increase of the fur seal has succeeded in preserving and increasing the sea otter 

 to such an extent ^ that I believe there is no other place in the world where so many 

 sea otters can be seen at the present day. The condition of the herd is now such that 

 200 animals can be killed off yearly without deti-iinent. The places where the sea 

 otter have their rookeries are constantly guarded to keep intruders off. Shooting, 



I As early as 1860 Captain Furuhielm writes : "According to the report of the manager of Copper 

 Island sea otters are increasing there, and I have issued the strictest orders to prevent their heing 

 disturbed." (Fur Seal Arb.,n,p.87.) 



