THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
295 
black. The porpoife is th q phocena. I have chofen to refer 
to this clafs the fea-otter, as living moftly in the water. It 
might have been fufficient to have mentioned, that this 
animal abounds here, as it is fully defcribed in different 
books, taken from the accounts of the Ruffian adventurers 
in their expeditions Eaftward from Kamtfchatka, if there 
had not been a fmall difference in one that we faw. We, for 
fome time, entertained doubts, whether the many fkins 
which the natives brought, really belonged to this animal; 
as our only reafon for being of that opinion, was founded on 
the lize, colour, and finenefs of the fur ; till a fhort while 
before our departure, when a whole one, that had been juft 
killed, was purchafed from fome ftrangers who came to 
barter; and of this Mr. Webber made a drawing. It was 
rather young, weighing only twenty-five pounds; of a 
fliining or gloffy black colour; but many of the hairs being 
tipt with white, gave it a greyiffi caft at firft fight. The face, 
throat, and breaft were of a yellowiffi white, or very light 
brown colour, which, in many of the fidns, extended the 
whole length of the belly. It had fix cutting teeth in each 
jaw; two of thofe of the lower jaw being very minute, and 
placed without, at the bafe of the two middle ones. In thefe 
circumftances, it feems to difagree with thofe found by the 
Ruffians ; and alfo in not having the outer toes of the hind 
feet fkirted with a membrane. There feemed alfo a greater 
variety in the colour of the fkins, than is mentioned by the 
defcribers of the Ruffian fea-otters. Thefe changes of co¬ 
lour certainly take place at the different gradations of life. 
The very young ones had brown hair, which was coarfe, 
with very little fur underneath; but thofe of the fize of 
the entire animal, which came into our poffeffion, and juft 
defcribed, had a confiderable quantity of that fubftance; 
and 
