Page:The Scientific Monthly vol. 3.djvu/408

 402 TEE SCIENTIFIC MONTHLY

are said to haye been killed in San Francisco Bay. These statements may be exaggerated^ but they do indicate that the sea otter was an im- portant object of pursuit In 1785 the price ranged from $1 to $7 per skin.* In 1880 the average skin taken ofF our coast brought $80, while in 1910 the average price paid for sea otter skins in London was said to be $1,703.33. These figures seem to indicate that the demand is inversely proportional to the number of the animals available. For it should be remarked that although the sea otters formerly occurred in suitable localities all the way along our coast, they have completely dis- appeared from off northern and southern California, although indi- viduals and small companies are still observed in the vicinity of Point Sur, Monterey County, and there is some evidence to indicate that since the passage in 1913 of the law giving them rigorous protection they are increasing slightly.

Deer

The deer is at the present time the most important game mammal in the state, and promises to maintain its preeminence for many years to come. Few species have been able to adapt themselves to the occupa- tion of man as well. But this does not mean that there has not been a decrease in numbers. Hittell,^* writing of the black-tailed deer, says:

In 1835, when Dana sailed into the bay of San Frandsco, the hiUs around and the islands in the bay were overrun with them. On a sloping bluif near the Golden Gate, under which his vessel anchored, there were herds of hundreds upon hundreds, which stood still and looked at the ship, until, frightened by the noises made for the purpose of seeing their graceful movements, they bounded off.

Traffic in deer hides was carried forward until a comparatively late date. In 1842 deer and elk hides brought only from fifty cents to a dollar apiece in San Francisco. The considerable traffic which was carried on even at these low prices bears unmistakable testimony to the great numbers of the species concerned. Evidently deer were numerotus, not only in the mountains, but on the plains, where now the sight of one would awaken the most extraordinary interest.^*

Nominally there are five subspecies of deer within the state, two of black-tailed, three of mule deer.

The Columbia black-tail is still found abundantly in the northern coast district south to the Golden Gate, its range embracing Mount Shasta to the north and east, and taking in all the coast ranges east to the Sacramento Valley.

In the coast belt south of San Francisco, at least to Monterey and San Benito counties, its place is taken by the southern black-tail.

• Bryant, CaUf, FUh and Game, 1, 1915, p. 97. Probably none of the Bkins sold in London in 1910 came from Galifomian waters.

""History of CaUfomia," 2, 1898, p. 562.

11 Newberry, Pac. B. B. Beports, 6, 1857, Zoology, p. 66; and Boeqni, "Memoirs," 1904, pp. 62, 66.

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