GROUP OF THE OTTERS. 



At the present day, according to the 

 account of H. W. Elhott, two-thirds of the 

 sea-otter skins ot commerce come from two 

 small islands on the coasts of Alaska. The 

 sea-otters land only on the most retired clifts 

 washed by surging waves. Idiev no lonoer 



of Kamchatka and northern California, but 

 it seems likely soon to disappear entirely in 

 consequence of the senseless pursuit carried 

 on ao-ainst this sfentle and intelligent animal. 

 Steller, who suffered shipwreck on Behring's 

 Island in the middle of last century, and 

 was there obliged to support himself and his i venture to the middle island, the only habit- 

 companions in misfortune for a year at the • able one, thev sleep on the water on tangle, 

 expense ot the numerous sea-otters, has given : and keep such strict watch that the hunters 

 us an account of this animal before the ap- ; are compelled to expose themselves to the 

 pearance ot man. A truly idyllic picture! | severest privations, to light no tire, ne\'er to 



smoke, to sleep in pits in the snow, in short 

 to lead a life full of hardship and danger to 

 get a tew rare skins. The animal which in 

 the time of Steller was the most careless and 

 confiding ot creatures, is now a model of 



The mothers play with their young ones, 

 follow them to their death, and pine away 

 over their loss. The males caress the females 

 tenderly. The societies live in perfect har- 

 mony, bask in the sun, and lead a careless 

 and happy life. They sleep without fear in | wiliness and wariness. Is it possible to 



the vicinity of man, rolling themselves up 

 like dogs. They show themselves annoved 

 when their retreat to the sea is cut off, 

 scarcely defend themselves against attack, 

 caress even the hand of the man who is pre- 

 paring to strike them dead, and roguishly 

 feio^n death when they have received a stroke. 



maintain that this animal has learned nothing? 

 "The quick hearing and acute smell pos- 

 sessed by the sea-otter," says Elliott, "are 

 not equalled by any other creatures in the 

 Territory. They will take alarm and leave 

 from the eftects of a small fire tour or five 

 miles to the windward of them, and the toot- 



getting up afterwards and making their escape I step of man must be washed by the tide 

 when one's back is turned. At the end of ' many times before its trace ceases to alarm 



a year ot continuous massacre, in the course 

 of which more than 700 head were killed and 

 consumed, the sea-otter knows what man is. 

 It has retired to the most inaccessible parts 



the animal, and drive it from landing there 

 should it approach for that purpose." 



Sea-otters are shot with bullets through 

 the head; thev are surrounded bv boats and 



of the island. The companies place sentinels | transfixed with spears ; they are felled with 

 to watch during their sleep, and when warned \ clubs during the terrible storms of these 

 by a shrill piping sound they all plunge at 

 once into the sea, the immediate neighbour- 

 hood of which they now never quit. Only in 

 very stormy nights, when the howling ot the 

 hurricane and the raging of the sea drown 

 all other sounds, can they be surprised by 



cautiously creeping up against the wind. 



regions, where they hide on the shore amid 

 heaps of tangle: they are even caught in 

 nets. But the yield of this hunt is diminish- 

 ing so much from year to year that the 

 government of the United States has already 

 taken measures to protect this ^-aluable 

 animal from complete extinction. 



