142 SEALS AND SEA-LIONS 



two inches in thickness; it is of a dirty yellow color, and lies 

 on a mass of fat which often is six inches thick. The largest 

 pair of tusks now known to the author measure 3634 inches 

 in length, and are in the National Collection of Heads and 

 Horns, of the New York Zoological Society. 



The Pacific Walrus eats more or less of aquatic-plant food, 

 but its principal food is shell-fish and crustaceans. These it 

 digs up from the muddy bottoms of the broad, shallow bays 

 along the coast, crushes between its powerful jaws, and swal- 

 lows in great quantities, shells and all! Crabs and shrimps 

 form a pleasing variety, and for salad it devours the bulb- 

 ous roots and tender stalks of marine plants which in sum- 

 mer grow in its home waters. 



In former times the Pacific Walrus existed in great herds 

 on the coast of Alaska, from the north shore of the Alaskan 

 Peninsula northward through Bering Strait, and thence east- 

 ward as far as Point Barrow. There the herds encountered 

 the edge of the great permanent ice-pack, and could go no 

 farther. In winter the Walrus herds float about on the ice- 

 fields, retreating southward as the edge of the ice advances. 

 In the open sea the sleeping posture of the Walrus is float- 

 ing bolt upright in the water. He grunts and bellows, and 

 many times vessels have been warned off dangerous, fog-hid- 

 den rocks by the Walrus lying upon them. 



On land the .Walrus is the most clumsy and helpless of 

 all land animals, and is easily approached and killed. In 

 the water it becomes a danger to be avoided, on account of 

 its proneness to wreck small boats. A full-grown W 7 alrus 

 has never been seen in captivity, but there is now (1914) ex- 



