REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 51 



(S) I'ictures.— l bad devoted some years to making a collection of tracings of all 

 the illustrations of tbe walrus in books of travel and natural history, and think I 

 had assembled some twenty of these, and am satisfied that I had, if not all, at least 

 all of the most important of those which made any claim to have been made by 

 observers. These were all quite unlike Mr. Elliott's drawings, but, as I have said, 

 personal observation satisHed me that these drawings were true to nature and'tlie 

 others not. I showed Mr. Elliott's pictures to many of the natives and others on the 

 islands, who all expressed themselves as perfectly satisfied witli them. 



(4) Anatomical indications.— In mounting the specimen the large wrinkled folds 

 on the skin around the limbs and body were followed as closely as possil)le, and 

 these, as every anatomist knows, indicate in no uncertain way the customary atti- 

 tudes of thick-skinned animals such as the walrus, the rhinoceros, the elephant, and 

 the armadi-llo. The shape and position of tbe warts on the neck, which look so gro- 

 tesque and unnatural in the Elliott pictures, were clearly shown in the skin and 

 could not possibly have been very different from those which Mr. Elliott delineated 

 Even tbe inflamed surface as shown in the drawings, giving such a ghastly and dis- 

 agreeable appearance to the animal, were manifestly true to nature, which is also 

 euppr.rted by the testimony of people on the island and by Capt. Hereudeen 



The deep wrinkles at the base of the flipper, have been criticised as unnatural 

 but my own observations on many specimens of fur seal, sea lions, and walruses' 

 and which are confirmed by many competent observers whom I have consulted (in 

 fact, they can be readily found on any pickled skin), satisfied me that I was correct 

 The thinness and smoothness of the skin in the center of these wrinkles their 

 position and general direction, even as illustrated in the palm of one's own hand will 

 convince anyone who sees them that there must necessarilv be wrinkles at those 

 points when by the position of the animal the skin and blubber is entirely released 

 of all tension and even crowded on itself; indeed, the most conspicuous feature of the 

 surface ot an annual of this division of the pinnipeds as he moves about, is the rapid 

 change in the position and form of these wrinkles on many parts of the bod v 



The accompanying illustration (PI. 40) shows tbe manner in which the folds 

 appeared in the fresh skin, the process of making them permanent, and the manne 

 of preserving them as the mounting progresses. 



Criticisms have been made also upon'tbe shape of the nostrils. In regard to this 

 I can only say that my guide was the appearance of the nostrils in tbe skin before 

 was fleshed, and when it was comparatively fresh. This I considered myself just ! 

 fied in doing, since I am not aware that anybody has made careful observations upon 

 the appearance of the nostrils close at hand, except Mr. Elliott, whose drawin-^s cor 

 respond with my interpretation, and Capt. Hereudeen says that the walrus^never 

 opens Its nostrils wiae, and that it is only when breathing or excited that they are 

 open to any considerable degree. * 



It has been also said that the neck is possibly a little too large, but the dimensions 

 of the specimen as mounted are smaller in this part than is indicated by the measure! 

 ments made by Dr. White. In mounting it I took into consideration the prob ibimy 

 :o;:i:^'Z; -^•'^ ^^---^^^ ^-d erect and muscles rigid, woull n.easui^ 



It should be clearly stated that the preparation under discussion was uitended to 

 show the appearance m life of the animal to which this skin belonge.l. namely an 

 old male such as are rarely seen, and that none but old males assume tbe grotesque 

 attitudes ot which this IS one. A young male would never present the same appear- 

 ance even m the same attitude, because they are .omparatively smooth, with hh - 

 ner sknis more hair, and fewer tubercular growths upon the surface. 



JustasItx^ould appear after being aroused from sleep a.ul just before makin- its 

 way to the water. The customary attitude in which walrusL are mounttd! ^vith 



