278 
IN FORBIDDEN SEAS 
the movement corresponding exactly with that 
observed in the case of the adult animal. 
The otter is very shy and sensitive, and nowadays 
rarely comes on shore, though, according to accounts 
given by Steller and others, it was formerly in the 
habit of “ hauling out ” on the rocks and beaches in 
large numbers. When lying up on the rocks, the 
otter is usually stretched out at full length if awake, 
but when sleeping in very cold weather it curls up 
and places its fore-paws over its nose. Sea-otters 
are particularly cleanly animals ; I have never found 
a parasite of any description on them. They are 
not quarrelsome, and though I have seen “ schools ” 
of them up to over 100 on different occasions, I 
have never seen any signs of fighting amongst them 
(they would often be at play), nor have I ever taken 
a sea-otter which had wounds or scars that could be 
attributed to fighting. Wounded otters I have 
taken on a few occasions, but they had been bitten 
by sharks, as I know from finding several of the 
sharks’ teeth broken off in the wounds. 
And here perhaps opportunity may be taken to 
correct some of the misapprehensions which are still 
current regarding the physical characteristics and 
habits of the sea-otter. For many of these Steller 
is responsible, unless, indeed, as I have suggested in 
Chapter III., his views have been misrepresented, 
or the habits of the sea-otter have changed since he 
wrote about them. Thus, he says that the sea-lions 
and sea-bears (fur-seals) devour the sea-otters and 
injure them in every possible way, so that the latter 
are very much afraid of sea-lions and sea-bears, and 
are driven away from their haunts. I have many 
times seen sea-otters with scores of sea-lions and fur- 
