1S52.] HABITS OF THE WALRUS. 93 



beard (strong horny bristles), came up repeatedly in a 

 most threatening attitude, snorting aloud his vengeance ; 

 and well satisfied was I that the floe was my safeguard : 

 doubtless he would have wreaked his vengeance on the 

 ' Hamilton/ and we should have met our punishment ! 

 Another, finding that she could not longer swim, deli- 

 berately hauled herself up on the floe to die. Now with 

 all due deference to anatomists, who may afford us full 

 proofs of the capability of these animals to walk like flies 

 on our ceilings, I must protest, from frequent observa- 

 tion, against the use of the flipper of the walrus for this 

 purpose. It does not appear to be of greater aid than 

 that of the seal is to that animal ; and, strangely, its 

 nails are placed on the upper side of the flipper, some 

 inches within its margin. That the power of exerting 

 the vacuum exists, I doubt not. But here, within a few 

 feet, deliberately did I watch the progress of the animal 

 in effecting its purpose. In the first place, the tail and 

 fins, exerting their full power in the water, gave such an 

 impetus, that it projected about one-third of the body of 

 the animal on to the floe. It then dug its tusks with 

 such terrific force into the ice that I feared for its brain, 

 and, leech-like, hauled itself forward by the enormous 

 muscular power of the neck, repeating the operation until 

 it was secure. The force with which the tusks were 

 struck into the ice appeared not only sufficient to break 

 them, but the concussion was so heavy, that I was sur- 

 prised that any brain could bear it. Can any one then be 

 surprised, when they are informed, that they " die hard," 

 even when shot through the brain ? 



As the 'Hamilton,' our sledge-boat, will frequently 



