and both in that colour and ftate the fea-otters feem to re¬ 
main, till they have attained their full growth. After that, 
they lofe the black colour, and affume a deep brown or 
footy colour; but have then a greater quantity of very fine 
fur, and fcarcely any long hairs. Others, which we fuf- 
pected to be ftill older, were of a chefnut brown ; and a few 
fkins were feen that had even acquired a perfectly yellow 
colour. The fur of thele animals, as mentioned in the 
Ruffian accounts, is certainly fofter and finer than that of 
any others we know of; and, therefore, the difcovery of 
this part of the continent of North America, where fo va¬ 
luable an article of commerce may be met with, cannot be 
a matter of indifference *. 
Birds, in general, are not only rare as to the different 
fpecies, but very fcarce as to numbers; and thefe few are 
fo fhy, that, in all probability, they are continually ha- 
raffed by the natives; perhaps to eat them as food, certainly 
to get poffeffion of their feathers, which they ufe as orna¬ 
ments. Thofe which frequent the woods, are crows and 
ravens, not at all different from our Englifh ones; a blueifli 
jay or magpie; common wrens, which are the only fing- 
ing bird that we heard; the Canadian, or migrating thruih; 
and a confiderable number of brown eagles, with white 
heads and tails; which, though they feem principally to 
frequent the coaft, come into the Sound in bad weather, 
and fometimes perch upon the trees. Amongft fome other 
birds, of which the natives either brought fragments, or 
dried fkins, we could diftinguifh a fmall fpecies of hawk; 
a heron; and the alcyon , or large-crefted American king- 
* Mr. Coxe, on the authority of Mr. Pallas, informs us, that the old and middle-aged 
fea-otters fkins are fold, at Kiachta, by the Ruffians, to the Chinele, from 80 to xoo rubles 
a fkinj that is, from 16I. to 20I. each. See Coxes RuJJian Difcoveries , p. 13. 
fifiier. 
