THE WALRUS 719 



the same female breeds but once in every three years. The females, while suckling 

 their young, are said to assemble in herds apart from the males. Like seals, walruses 

 appear to have circular breathing holes in the ice, to which they can resort from be- 

 low without exposing themselves. The voice of these animals is a loud roar, which 

 in the case of large herds can be heard at the distance of several miles. 



Unless molested, the walrus is stated to be gentle and inoffensive in disposition; 

 but when attacked, displays great fierceness and vindictiveness, while its huge bulk 

 renders it a formidable antagonist, especially when its aggressors are afloat in a 

 small boat. Not less noteworthy is the affection of the female walrus for its young, 

 and likewise the sympathy of all the members of a herd for a wounded comrade. 

 When one of the herd is wounded, all its fellows are stated to combine together for 

 its defense; and on such occasions the aspect of the animals is described as abso- 

 lutely terrific. Either through confidence in their size and power, or from want of 

 appreciation of danger, walruses when on shore or on the ice can often be ap- 

 proached very closely, and may thus be easily dispatched; they learn, however, 

 greater caution with experience. In other cases they seem to be more vigilant on 

 all occasions, having a certain number of their body acting as sentinels. In hunt- 

 ing them the great object is to cut off their retreat to the water, for if they once gain 

 the open sea they generally escape. The number of walruses formerly found on the 

 ice floes of Spitzbergen was so great, and so thickly were the creatures crowded 

 together, that an eyewitness wrote of them as presenting the appearance of solid 

 islands of animals. 



The walrus feeds chiefly upon thick-shelled bivalve mollusks, 

 especially those commonly known as gapers. For crushing the shells 

 of these mollusks the stunted and short cheek-teeth of the walrus are admirably 

 adapted; but it appears that, after being broken the shells themselves are rejected, 

 and only the soft portions of the mollusks swallowed. This molluskan diet is also 

 supplemented by fish and various crustaceans; while in addition to these, large 

 quantities of seaweed are also swallowed, although it is quite probable that their 

 introduction into the creature's mouth is not intentional. It appears to be now 

 ascertained beyond doubt that the chief use of the tusks of the walrus is to dig in 

 the mud and ooze for the purpose of raking up the mollusks, on which it feeds so 

 largely. Dr. R. Brown states, however, that he has seen walruses employ their 

 tusks to aid in dragging their unwieldy bodies on to the ice, and also to aid their 

 clumsy progress when on land. These observations are fully confirmed by Dr. 

 Kane, who states that he has known walruses in this manner drag themselves 

 on rocky islands to heights of sixty or a hundred feet above the level of the water. 

 The walrus is killed when on land or ice either by means of long 

 lances, or with rifles; while when at sea it is chased with special boats 

 and harpooned. Allusion has already been made to the enormous numbers of these 

 animals killed in the Magdalen islands, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in the six- 

 teenth and seventeenth centuries; but one more instance of an enormous destruction 

 of these animals may be referred to in greater detail. This occurred in the summer 

 of 1852 on Thousand island, lying off the southwest coast of Spitzbergen. Here, 

 writes the narrater, Mr. Lamont, ' ' two small sloops, sailing in company, approached 



