DOMESTICATION. 143 



first time 5 but it was quite awkward and got under the floe, 

 whence it was unable to extricate itself, until, guided by its 

 piteous t aw liking'*) its master went out on the ice and called 

 it by name, when it immediately came out from under the 

 ice and -was assisted on board again, apparently heartily sick 

 of its mother element. After surviving for more than three 

 mouths, it died, just before the vessel left for England. As T 

 was not near at the time, I was unable to make a dissection in 

 order to learn the cause of its death.' 7 * 



Mr. Laniont thus describes a young Walrus he saw on board 

 the Norwegian brig " Nordby, 77 in the possession of Captain Eric- 

 son : " Before parting company, we went on board the < Xordby ' 

 to see a young live Walrus ('a leetle boy -Walrus', as Ericson 

 in his broken English called it), which they had on board as a 

 pet. This interesting little animal was about the size of a sheep, 

 and was the most comical fac-simile imaginable of the old Wal- 

 rus. He had been taken alive after the harpooning of his mother 

 a few weeks ago, and now seemed perfectly healthy, and tame 

 and playful as a kitten. It was, of course, a great pet with all 

 011 board, and seemed much more intelligent than I believed ; 

 the only thing which seemed to destroy its equanimity was pull- 

 ing its whiskers, or pretending to use a i rope's end 7 to it, when 

 it would sneak off, looking over its shoulder, just like a dog- 

 when chastised! They said it would eat salt fish, salt-beef, 

 blubber, or anything offered it ; but I strongly advised Ericson 

 to give it, if possible, a mixture of vegetables or sea- weed alon 

 with such strong diet. I assured him that, if he succeeded in 

 taking it alive to the Kegentfs Park or the Jardin des Plantes, * 

 lie would get a large price for it 5 but before I left Spitsbergen 

 in September, I heard with regret that the curious little beast 

 had died. 77 f 



Mr. Lamont, on one of his later Arctic expeditions, captured 

 several young Walruses, and seems to have had three alive at \ 

 one time on board the "Diane. 77 The first was captured on May \ 

 27, and safely landed on board, " uttering the most discordant *. 

 cries which ever assailed the ears of man. 77 U A harsh note or, : 

 more properly speaking, noise, something between a grunt and 

 a bark henceforth, till we were hardened to the annoyance, 

 broke our slumbers at night and destroyed the peace and quiet 

 of the day. Though particularly anxious to secure and .carry 



* Proc. Zool. Soc. Loud., 186^. pp. -!:>l, 43.^. 

 t Seasons with the Sea-horses, pn. IVJ, -10. 



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