276 THE WALRUS. 



of the walrus are among the strongest and most 

 incontestable proofs to be found in the hand 

 writing of Nature throughout all the animal 

 kingdom, in support of the theory of creation 

 by slow and gradual causes, and in opposition 

 to that of abrupt, unnatural, and uncalled-for 

 interpositions of the Divine will. 



There are very few or no animals in the 

 world which seem to me to constitute so clear 

 and well-defined a link between two different 

 and distinct races ; and I can hardly understand 

 how any reflecting and unprejudiced person 

 can attentively study the habits of the walrus 

 when alive, or even attentively examine his 

 skeleton when dead, without coming to the 

 conclusion that he forms a plain and unmis 

 takable link between animals inhabiting the 

 land and the cetaceans or whales. 



The origin of the walrus is a much more 

 difficult and complicated problem to solve, 

 than to account for the divergence from the 

 original stock of the white bear ; but never 

 theless, I think the walrus must have origi 

 nated in much the same sort of way as that by 

 which I have attempted to explain the origin 

 of 17. maritimus ; only, for the creation of the 

 walrus, I must claim the indulgence of my 



