28 ODOB^NUS ROSMAEUS ATLANTIC WALEUS. 



bristles are pale yellow or liglit yellowish horn-color. In old 

 animals, the hair becomes more scanty, and often gives place to 

 nearly bare scarred patches, frequently of considerable area. 

 Yery old individuals sometimes become almost naked, i>resent- 

 ing the same appearance that has been so often observed among 

 very old males of the Alaskan Wab'us. The skin is everywhere 

 more or less wrinkled and thrown into folds, especially over the 

 shoulders, where the folds are deep and heavy. The average 

 length of four adult males examined is about 10| feet, varying 

 from 9J to 11 feet. Authors, hoAvever, commonly give rather 

 larger dimensions, and a length of twelve feet is said to be not 

 infrequently attained. The largest bristles vary in length from 

 2.25 to 2.75 inches. 



From Dr. Murie's paper on the general anatomy of a young 

 indi\ndual I add a few further details. Dr. Murie describes the 

 muzzle as callable of great mobility, and the mystacial bristles as 

 curving in different directions according to the muscular tension 

 of the parts to which they are attached. "When the nostrils are 

 relaxed they drop forwards and the bristles inwards. At such 

 times the nares are apart fully 1^ inch ; but when they are con- 

 tracted a septum 0.6 of an inch wide only divides them. Occa- 

 sionally, when ahve, I observed the animal retract its upper lip, 

 as a dog would in snarling; and this caused a deep fiirrow in 

 the facial region. This change in the features gives quite a 



different exjDression to the physiognomy When seen 



in front and from above, the face has a most curious expression, 

 recalling to mind that of the cranium of an Elephant rather than 

 the Walrus's ally Otaria. The auricular region then acquires 

 a prominent aspect, as do the orbits. The great breadth of the 

 muzzle also comes out better. The face is entirely hairy to the 



roots of the bristles On the lower surface of the muzzle 



and chin, the upper lij) passes one inch beyond the lower hp, and 

 the snout, with its adpressed bristles, one or two inches beyond 

 that. A portion of the upper rosy lip, in this view, is seen thrust 

 upwards or x)uckered outside the canines. These upper canine 

 teeth, which grow to massive tusks in the adult and aged Wal- 

 ruses, in ours had little more than protruded beyond the mandib- 

 ular hps. The chin and anterior portion of the throat are xery 

 haiiy; this diminishes backwards ; and on the throat the almost 

 hairless skin is thrown into longitudinal and parallel narrowish 

 flat-topped rugte." * 



* Traus. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1872, vol. vii, p. 419. 



