AND THE WALRUS 



The sea-bear, a kind of fur-seal, is very valuable, and is 

 rapidly becoming extinct; its fur is of a pale brown, almost 

 yellowish tint, and this used to be exported from North 

 China in great quantities. Some years ago, however, the 

 Russians contrived to get the greater part of the trade 

 away from the Chinese, and they have pursued the animals 

 so ruthlessly that they have left none for anyone else. 



The establishment of a close season for sealing has 

 happily now put a stop to the wholesale destruction 

 of such valuable animals. By agreement among the ship- 

 owners, almost the whole of the seal-fishery is at present 

 confined to the early spring. 



The walrus, morse, sea-horse, or whale-horse, is easily 

 distinguished from the other pinnipeds by its two upper 

 canine teeth which, projecting downwards, form two 

 powerful tusks; in length it is about thirteen feet; in 

 shape very much like a seal; in colour from tawny to 

 dark red. It is only found in the northern seas round 

 Kamchatka is a favourite locality and it is hunted by 

 the natives or by the big sealing-fleets for the sake of its 

 somewhat scanty though exceedingly pure oil, and of its 

 tusks, which are from fifteen to thirty inches long, and 

 are of the finest and hardest ivory. 



The use of the tusks is not primarily as a weapon, but 

 as a means of progress. In climbing an ice-floe the 

 walrus digs the points in the surface of the ice and easily 

 drags himself from spot to spot. 



The skin is tanned and used in various manufactures, or 

 is cut up into thongs which are absolutely unbreakable ; 



