THE SEA-OTTER 
279 
seals around them lying up in the kelp in apparent 
unconcern. The sea-lion could not devour them if 
he tried, his teeth, like those of the fur-seal, being 
suitable only for seizing his prey (fish, squid, etc.), 
which he swallows without masticating. 
Steller, in speaking of the flesh of the otter, 
describes it as 44 savoury and delicious.” There is 
no accounting for taste, of course. I have tried it 
on many occasions cooked in various ways, but a 
more disagreeable, ranker-tasting meat I have yet 
to find. Not a hunting season would pass without 
someone trying it. The sailors, both Chinese and 
Japanese, whom I have had at different times, 
ate crow, shag, gull, fox, whale, and, of course, 
seal, fur-seal, and sea-lion, but they always gave 
otter-flesh the 44 go-by.” Among the Kurilsky Ainu, 
however, as stated in Chapter III., the sea-otter 
provides a favourite dish. I may here mention that 
the flesh of the sea-lion is excellent, even the fat, 
whilst that of the fur-seal is equally good, but every 
particle of fat must be carefully cut off before 
cooking, or it will spoil the dish. 
Steller’s account says : 44 The four canine teeth 
are smaller than common, just as observed in the 
sea-bears, seals, and sea-lions.” This surely is an 
error, as a glance at drawings of the skulls and teeth 
of these animals will at once show that the very 
reverse is the case. The dentition of the sea-otter 
is totally different from that of the fur-seal and sea- 
lion, which is practically alike. The sea-otter has 
incisors and canine teeth, as well as particularly 
strong molars, with which it crushes up the shells of 
the crabs and crustaceans it feeds upon. 
As to the food of the sea-otter, I have examined 
