OCEANIC MAMMALS 475 



In Hudson Bay they were formerly found as far south as Paint 

 Islands on the east side of James Bay, but now their southern 

 limit is the Belcher Islands in about latitude 57 N. Low 

 (1906) adds that there had been a rapid diminution in their 

 numbers here during the past few years (after 1898) since the 

 Scottish steamer Active had been engaged in their capture. 

 But since only one in four or five of those killed was recovered, 

 and the proceeds from oil, hide, and ivory were less then $50 

 apiece, the prospect for their early extermination seemed 

 obvious. According to the investigations of Major Burwash, 

 "the biggest walrus hauling ground in eastern North America 

 was formerly at Padlei, northeast of Cumberland Sound, 

 Baffin Island. One company took over 4,000 skins per year, 

 and began to create a demand for walrus hides for lining of 

 automobile tires. Walrus are still found in some numbers off 

 Amadjuak Bay, and are more numerous farther west, especially 

 about King Charles Cape, Mill, and Salisbury Islands. They 

 are also found along the east coast of Baffin Island, but are 

 scarce in Cumberland Sound. Farther north they are more 

 abundant in Lancaster Sound, Jones Sound, and Smith Sound 

 north to at least 80." 



In 1928, while with the Canadian Arctic Expedition, Dr. 

 R. M. Anderson made a special effort to ascertain the west- 

 ward limits of the Atlantic walrus. From information secured 

 it appeared that in February of that year an inspector found 

 "thousands at the edge of the floe in the northern end of Foxe 

 basin, and smaller numbers in Fury and Hecla strait. The 

 natives there live largely on walrus and remain on the ice 

 nearly ten months of the year. There is open water there all 

 winter." Walruses were abundant at Port Leopold, Somerset 

 Island, in 1924-27, but none was seen around Prince of Wales 

 Island to the west. They are abundant in Repulse Bay. 

 Summing up, Anderson writes: "Apparently the western limit 

 of range of the Atlantic Walrus in the south is Fury and Hecla 

 strait, and in the north the upper part of Prince Regent inlet 

 down to Bellot strait and the middle of Barrow strait, south of 

 Cornwallis Island." 



It seems then that on the western side of the Atlantic 

 walruses have retreated to within the Arctic Circle, or nearly 

 so, and frequent regions where some open water may be found 

 the year around. The need for regulation of their killing is 



