250 ADVENTURES IN THE NORTHERN SEAS. 



I think the appearance and the very existence 

 of the walrus are among the strongest and most in- 

 contestable proofs to be found in the handwriting 

 of Nature throughout all the animal kingdom in 

 support of the theory of creation by slow and 

 gradual causes, and in opposition to that of abrupt, 

 unnatural, and uncalled-for interpositions of the 

 Divine will. 



There are very few or no animals in the world 

 which seem to me to constitute so clear and well- 

 defined a link between two different and distinct 

 races; and I can hardly understand how any re- 

 flecting and unprejudiced person can attentively 

 study the habits of the walrus when alive, or even 

 attentively examine his skeleton when dead, with- 

 out coming to the conclusion that he forms a plain 

 and unmistakable link between animals inhabiting 

 the land and the cetaceans or whales. 



The origin of the walrus is a much more difficult 

 and complicated problem to solve than to account 

 for the divergence from the original stock of the 

 white bear; but, nevertheless, I think the walrus 

 must have originated in much the same sort of 

 way as that by which I have attempted to explain 

 the origin of U. rnaritimus ; only, for the creation 



published, I do not claim any originality for my views ; and I 

 also cheerfully acknowledge that, hut for the publication of 

 that work in connection with the name of so distinguished a 

 naturalist, I never would have ventured to give to the world 

 my own humble opinions on the subject. 



