Observations on Seals and Whales. 



211 



first stick the head down, so that only the back is above water; 

 then this slowly disappears under the surface and the hind flippers 

 appear, and then these also go down (without, it may be remarked, 

 the rapid and powerful movement which characterizes e. g. Phoca 

 f'oetida); they now sw4m for about 10 minutes quite under water, 

 simply by moving their hind flippers; a couple of slow beats from 

 side to side, a short rest while floating, then a couple of beats 

 again and so on. The front flippers are пел'ег used in the water 

 but are held close in to the body, and when they come up (with 



Fig. Г). A male Walrus plunges into the water at Ii\:il 



IIIMUlllcll. 



August 1906. 



head first) they blow strongly and like to lie some time on the surface 

 before going down again. On the other hand, they naturally use 

 to a great extent all four legs (and also the teeth) when they are 

 climbing up on to the drift-ice or moving over this, j'ust as on 

 land, as I had frequent occasion to observe on Hvalrosodden in 

 August 1906. Here half a score of them were lying asleep together; 

 Avhen we fired on them a tremendous tumult arose, those not killed 

 at once raised themselves up on their front flippers and bellowed 

 loudly; as they pushed off with these, they swung the body round 

 and brought the hind flippers forwards, close in under the body; 

 and while the front flippers supported the animals they slid out into 



