470 University of California Publications in Geology [Vol- 7 



DISTRIBUTION AND CLASSIFICATION OF LATAX 

 Distribution 



The northern sea-otter, Latax lutris lutris (Linnaeus), in- 

 habits the coast and islands of the North Pacific Ocean. In 

 1904 C. H. Merriam 8 described a southern subspecies from the 

 Santa Barbara Islands {Latax lutris nereis, type from San 

 Miguel Island). Cones 9 gives the range of the sea-otter as south 

 to Lower California. The limits of the range of the two sub- 

 species are not determined. 



Classification and Eelationships 

 Many early writers observed the resemblance of the sea-otter 

 to the seal. Pennant 10 noted the resemblance of the two in tooth 

 formula. He also called attention to their likeness in habits. 

 Referring to sea-otter, he states: "These animals partake very 

 much of the nature of seals in their almost constant residence 

 in the water, their manner of swimming, finlike legs, and number 

 of fore teeth." In the same account he says: "They are seen 

 very remote from land, sometimes even at the distance of a 

 hundred leagues." Pallas, 11 as noted above, referred the animal 

 to the genus Phoca. Martin, with reference to the close resem- 

 blance between the two, states 12 that between the seals and the 

 otters the Enhydra forms a palpable link of union, approxi- 

 mating, in some portion of its osseous structure, even more to the 

 former than to the latter. Baird (1857) practically repeats this 

 statement. "The sea-otter, the sole representative of the genus 

 so far as known, is an exceedingly remarkable animal, with per- 

 haps more resemblance to a seal than to the common otters." 13 

 Scammon 14 includes the sea otter in the Pinnipedia. Cones is 



s Merriam, C. H., "A new sea-otter from southern California," Proc. 

 Biol. Soc, Wash., vol. 17 (1904), p. 159. 



9 Coues, E., op. cit., p. 327. 



10 Pennant, T., Arctic Zoology (London, Henry Hughs, 1784), p. 91. 



11 Pallas, P., Zoographia rosso-asiatiea (Petropoli ex officina Caes. 

 Academiae Scientiarum MDCCCXI), p. 100. 



12 Martin, W. C. L., op. cit., p. 59. 

 is Baird, S. F., op. cit., p. 189. 



1 4 Scammon, C. M., Marine mammals (San Francisco, John H. Carmany 

 & Co.; New York, G. P. Putnam's Sons; 1874), pp. 168-174. 



