THE SEA OTTERS. 61 
St. Miguel Islands, have been regarded as choice places to 
pursue them; farther northward, off Cape Blanco on the 
Oregon coast, and Point Granville and Gray's Harbor, along 
the coast of Washington Territory. At the present day con- 
siderable numbers are taken by whites and Indians about 
these northern grounds. 
Thence to the northward and westward comes a broken 
coast and groups of islands where the animals were in former 
days hunted by the employees of the Hudson Bay Company, 
Russian American Company, and the natives inhabiting those 
broken shores. 
These interesting animals are gregarious, and frequently 
may be seen in bands numbering from fifty up to hundreds. 
When in rapid movement they make alternate, undulating 
leaps out of the water, plunging again as do seals and por- 
poises. When in a state of quietude they are much of the 
time on their backs. They are frequently seen in this post- 
ure with the hind flippers extended as if catching the breeze 
to sail or drift before it. They live on clams, as well as 
crabs and other species of crustacea; sometimes small fish. 
When the otter descends and brings up any article of food, 
it instantly resumes its habitual attitude on the back to de- 
vour it. In sunny days, when looking, it sometimes shades 
its eyes with one forepaw, much in the same manner as a 
person does with the hand. 
The females usually have but a single young one at a 
birth, never more than two, which are brought forth on the 
kelp (say the white hunters), which abounds at nearly all 
points known as their favorite resorting places.* 
* That the ott r, or on the kelp, appears improbable; 
however, may it not be cipi e? We have: it : from retty reliable authority that 
do — ont the beaches ab out e Aleutian Islands. E it probable that the habits of the 
D T 
3 PS à P PUTI + "m + 
it Thare 
bch oiomed on the contrary, those m 1l ith much valu- 
able data, I know to be of pienten s — and th y scc | positi. 
never come on shore unless in some way disabled." This is the ise; of Mr. Blodget, 
a very successful hunter at Point Granville. He assures me that he has searched dili- 
