96 



ODOB^NUS ROSMARUS ATLANTIC WALRUS. 



mals standing on tlie ice, witli long tusks and an arclied body^ 

 sux>i)orted on a decurved bifurcate tail and the fore limbs, while 

 the heads of several others are seen in the water. They are 

 represented as having distinct pointed ears and no hind feet, 

 unless the tail-like ending of the body may be supi^osed to rep- 

 resent the hind limbs.* An explanation of the inaccuracy of 



Fig. 9. "Sea Horse, 1609." 



these figures is evidently afforded by the context (pp. 218-219 

 of the Hakluyt edition), in which we find the following: "And 

 passing along by it ["Admiralty Island"], we saw about two 

 hundred, seahorses lying upon a flake of ice, and we sailed 

 close by them and draue them from there, which had almost 

 cast us doun ; for they being mighty strong fishes [Zee-mon- 

 sters, the editor says is the term used in the original Dutch], 

 and of great force swam towards us (as if they^ would revenge 

 on us for the despight that we had done them) round about 

 our scuts [boats] with a great noyse, as if they would have de- 

 voured us 5 but we escaped from them by reason of a good gale 

 of wind ; yet it was not Avise of us to wake sleeping wolves." 



r^f'j*r^:^r. 



Fig. 10. ' ' Wah-uss. Ad viviim delineatum ab Hesselo G. A. 1613. (Reduced 



four-sevenths. ) " 



In 1G13 a very correct and in many ways admirable repre- 

 sentation of the Walrus was published by Hessel Gerard t (or 



* One of these figures has been cojiied by Gray (Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 

 1853, p. 114, fig. 6), but omitting the ears and somewliat reduced in size. 

 Gray's figure is here reproduced (see Fig. 9). 



t " Histoire de Spitsberghe," as cited by Gray. Blumenbach and von Baer 

 cite doubtfully "Descrijttio ac delineatio geographica detectionis freti, s. 

 transitus ad occasum supra terras Americanas in China atque Japonem duc- 

 turi, etc." Von Hessel Gerard. Amsterdam, 1613. 4. 



