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XVII. A Description of the Anatomy of the Sea Otter , from a 
Dissection made November 15th, 1 795, by Everard Home, 
Esq . F.R.S. and Mr. Archibald Menzies. Communicated by 
Everard Home, Esq. 
Read May 26 , 17 96. 
The subjects from which the following description is taken, 
were procured from the natives on the west coast of America, 
near Queen Charlotte's isles, by Mr. Archibald Menzies, sur- 
geon in the navy, and naturalist to the expedition fitted out by 
government for making discoveries, under the direction of 
Captain Vancouver. 
The sea otter is not confined to this particular situation ; it 
was met with in the course of the voyage every where along 
the coast, from go° to 62° north latitude, and sometimes even 
an hundred leagues out at sea. 
Two sea otters were examined, both of them males; one was 
a cub not old enough to leave the mother, the other appeared 
to be full grown. 
A Description of the external Appearances . 
The large one measured four feet four inches from the nose 
to the extremity of the tail. The body appears a little com- 
pressed, and is nearly of the same thickness throughout ; its 
circumference is two feet four inches and an half. 
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