SEA OTTER. 
U5 
Aleutian and Fox islands, between Asia and Ame- 
rica. They land also in the Kuril islands, but are 
never seen in the channel between the north-east 
of Siberia and America. It is supposed that they 
bring but one at a time. They are most ex- 
tremely harmless animals, and are singularly af- 
fectionate to their young. They bring forth on 
land, and often carry the young one between 
their teeth; fondle them, and frequently fling 
them up and catch them again in their paws ; 
and before they can swim, the parents take them 
in their fore feet, and swim about on their backs. 
The young continues with its parent till it takes 
a mate. 
This animal is killed for its skin, which is one 
of the most valuable of furs, being sold at the 
rate of from 14 to 25 pounds sterling each. They 
are said to be chiefly sold to the Chinese. 
The Sea Otter is sometimes taken with nets, 
but is more frequently destroyed with clubs and 
spears. 
In the Philosophical Transactions for the year 
1796, we meet with a description of the Sea Otter 
by Mr. A. Menzies, accompanied by some obser^ 
vations by Mr. Home. From the description there 
given it appears that the hind feet were com- 
pletely covered with hair both above and below, 
except a small bare spot beneath each toe, so that 
in this particular the animal either varies, or the 
hair at some particular seasons may fall away 
from the webs of the feet, so as to leave the skin 
bare, as mentioned in Mr. Pennant s description : 
