Mustelid^. MAMMALIA. Mustelid.e. 95 
British Museum, this species is denominated Lataxina 
mollis, 
THE BEAZILIAN OTTER {Lutra Braziliensis) is, 
in point of mere size, very similar to the foregoing ; 
the female examples, however, procured by the natu- 
ralist D’Azara, did not exceed four feet in length, 
including the tail, which measured twelve inches in the 
largest specimen. The fur has a fulvous yellow colour, 
generally, approaching to a chestnut hue on the limbs 
and tail. According to D’Azara, as quoted by Mr. 
Ogilby, this “ species lives in troops, which sometimes, 
rising to the surface of the water, lift their heads and 
bark like dogs, with a hoarse voice in a menacing and 
snapping manner, without, however, injuring voyagers 
or swimmers. Each family seems to possess a separate 
domain. It spends nearly as much time upon the water 
as it does upon the land, where it devours the fish 
which it has taken, and rears its young in holes which 
it excavates in the banks. The same author M'as 
informed by the Payaguas Indians, who sail continually 
up and down the river, and are better acquainted with 
this animal than others, that the female brings forth 
two at a birth, covered with hair, and that many females 
bring forth and rear their young at the same time and 
in the same place — their usual resort throughout the 
year. The motions of this otter are generally slow, 
and it drags, as it were, its belly and muzzle along the 
ground; when it runs, it is not at all swift.” By the 
Portuguese colonists of South America, the Brazilian 
otter is called Loto de Rio, or River-wolf. In the Bri- 
tish Museum Catalogue, it is termed the ‘Lutra.’ 
THE JAVANESE OTTER {Aomyx Lejalonyos) is also 
know'n b}' the names of the simung and the wergul. It is 
a small species comparatively, the body measuring very 
little more than two feet, exclusive of the tail, which is 
about half that length. The character and texture of 
the fur is very similar to that of our common European 
species, but the brown colour has a much less rich tint, 
approaching more to a tawny aspect ; the lower part of 
the face, throat, neck, and breast, being of a light dusky 
yellow. The whiskers ’ are strongly developed in a 
double series on either side, one set of bristly hairs 
arising immediately below the nose, and the other from 
the posterior region of the cheek. Dr. Horsfield states 
that “ the Javanese otter agrees in its manners with 
the common otter. It inhabits the banks of rivers, and 
lives on fishes. Its disposition, when found at large, is 
extremely ferocious ; if attacked, it defends itself with 
courage. It is with great difficulty taken in its adult 
state; but, if obtained when young, it is mild and tractable. 
In this state it is occasionally seen in dwellings, but I 
never observed it to continue long in confinement. 
The natives distinguish two varieties of the Javanese 
otter, to one of which the name of wergul, to the other 
that of welingsang, is applied. The former is of a 
grey colour, and is said to be solitary, while the latter 
lives gregariously ; but these statements require confir- 
mation.” The species under consideration is found in 
parts of the Indian Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, their 
adjacent isles, and the Continent of Siam. Its voice 
is said to bear some resenablance to that of a person 
crying. The female exhibits much solicitude and 
affection for her offspring. 
THE SEA OTTER {Enhydra marina), or kalan of 
the Kamtschatkadales, is a very remarkable animal, 
approximating closely to the piunigrade seals in its 
habits and haunts. The length of the body is rather 
more than three feet, exclusive of the tail, which gives 
an additional seven or eight inches in a full-grown 
specimen. The head is rounded posteriorly, the out- 
line, in a profile view, seen passing insensibly, as it 
were, into that of the strong, thick, muscular neck. 
The ears are remarkably small, and placed on a much 
lower level than the eyes. The whiskers are strongly 
developed. The limbs are short, more especially the 
anterior pair, and the hinder feet are comparatively 
more bulky than the fore ones, being also situated very 
far back. The toes are covered with hair, almost con- 
cealing the claws, and the outermost digit of the pos- 
terior feet is longer than any of the others. The fur 
varies in colour at different seasons of the year, and 
likewise according to the animal’s age. Ordinarily, it 
is of a deep, sooty brown, or sometimes of a rich jet- 
black colour; but in young specimens it is lighter. 
There are two kinds of hair as usual ; the longer are 
whitish, and overlap the more numerous soft, downy 
hairs, which lie partly concealed beneath. The fur 
has a beautiful, glossy, velvety texture ; and, according 
to Captain Cook’s account, is softer and finer than that 
of any other species. In early times, the skins appear 
to have fetched an extraordinary price; for Pallas 
states that single skins were sold at Kiachta, by the 
Russian furriers, at the rate of one hundred roubles — a 
sum of money equivalent to twenty pounds sterling. 
Even now, the sea otter’s fur is highly prized, especially 
as its numbers have been so considerably reduced by the 
competition of Russian, Anglo-Indian, and American 
traders. This animal was formerly abundant on the 
islands skirting the north-eastern shores of Asia, 
Kamtschatka, the Kurile, and the Aleutian isles, but 
it is now almost limited to the western coasts of North 
America, extending as far south as California. The 
fur is purchased principally by the inhabitants of China 
and Japan. In a morphological point of view, the sea 
otter may be looked upon as an intermediate form 
between the fresh- water otters and the true maritime 
seals ; and we also find that in its capacity for capturing 
fish, it appears to combine the special facilities of 
either species. It is essentially a marine animal, living 
very constantly in the open sea, and only frequenting 
the rocks for repose, and for the occasional purpose of 
rearing its young. The Russian traveller. Von Kotze- 
bue, has given the following interesting account of the 
habits and mode of hunting the sea otter : — “ They 
are often seen on the surface of the water, many miles 
from land, lying asleep on their backs, with their 
young, of which two are produced at a birth, resting 
upon them and sucking. The young cannot swim 
until they are several months old; hut the mother, 
when she goes out to sea in search of food, carries 
them on her back, and brings them home to her hole 
in the rocks when she has duly satisfied her hunger. 
If seen by the hunters during these excursions, the 
female falls a sure prey to them ; for she never forsakes 
her offspring however much they embarrass her swim- 
ming, but, in common with the male, defends them 
