68 THE SEA OTTERS. 
The mothers caress and suckle their offspring seemingly 
with much affection, fondling them with their forepaws, re- 
clining in their usual manner, and frequently uttering a 
plaintive strain, which may have given rise to the saying that 
“sea otters sing to quiet their young ones.” But when 
startled they rise perpendicularly nearly half their lengths 
out of the water; and if their quick, sharp eyes, discover 
aught to cause alarm, the cubs are seized with the mouth, 
and instantly all will disappear under water. Both males 
and females are sometimes seen curled up in such shapeless- 
ness as to present no appearance of animal form; when in 
this position they are said to be sleeping. The perpendicular 
attitude is likewise often adopted during the mating season. 
The sea otter is rarely seen far from land, its home being 
in the thick beds of kelp near the shore, or about outlaying 
rocky reefs. 
Point Granville seems to be an exception, as there is no 
gently for their tracks along the sandy beach lying between the above-named point 
and ahd Maroon but never found the least indication of them 
Captain Williams, who has long been a successful sea otter bauer on the California 
et pe me ey Mr. Blodget/s statement as to sea otters coming on shore on tha t 
ast. 
oxe, in his work published in 1780, writes the following in relation to the sea otter: 
* Of all these —— the skins of the sea otter are the richest and most valuable. Those 
animals resort in great numbers to the Aleutian and Fox Islands; they are called by 
the Russians ^ Bosbry Morfki, or sea beavers, and sometimes Mpeg 1 pp on 
this animal is of the dele seb 8, whereas e true sea o 
The females are called Matka, or dams; and pan ubs, till five wer old, Medviedki, 
or little bears, € cause their coat resemble es that of a ‘pean; they lose that coat after 
five months, an 
Kofchloki. 
fur of "e pss son is thick and d long, : of a dark color, and fine Lon A p 
en nre Ta ken four ways B 
followed in boats and -juatéd down till they are tired, surprised in madras, o ond taken ce 
At ppenieem ena the pe sell for, per skm, from thirty to ap iA roubles; middle sort, 
twenty to E thirty; worst sort, fifteen to twenty-five. At Kiachta, the old and middle- 
otter skins, are die to the Chinese per skin, from eighty to one hundred; the 
worst sehe from thirty to fx 
s these furs fetch so vent a price to the Chinese, they are seldom brought into 
Russia for sale; and several, which have vn carried to d as a tribute, were 
purchased thirty roubles a skin; and sent Ng thence to the Chinese frontiers, 
disposed of at a very high intere 
