214 NATURAL HISTORY. 



rush simultaneously to the fight, and attack the boat. When a young Sea Horse is wounded, the 

 parent becomes desperate, and fearlessly exposes herself, or seizes the youngster under her fore-flipper, 

 and makes off, or defends herself and progeny to the death. There is no security to the hunter 

 on the ice, which the animal in its fury will break through, even when six inches thick. 



The tusks vary from eight inches to two feet long, and may weigh from five to fifteen pounds ; 

 in the males they are generally supposed to be thicker and more divergent. These teeth continuously 

 grow, and, as they wear away, their interior becomes tilled with tooth bone. In the young Walrus, 

 there appears to be more teeth than in the adult; but these, as Professor Flower has shown, are 

 exceedingly diminutive denticles, and may or may not remain through life. The first tooth of the 

 molar series in the upper jaw, as in the Dog and other Carnivora, has no predecessor; but the second 

 and third are preceded by milk teeth. In the lower jaw there are three milk teeth. 



The formidable canines, when employed as offensive weapons (Lamont notes), not only are used 

 downwards, but by a quick turn of the neck the animal strikes upwards and sideways with equal dex- 

 terity. Again, in raising the body out of the water on to the ice-floe after the first jerk forwards, the 

 tusks are dug into the ice with terrific force, and thus the body is hauled on till footing is gained. 

 Broken tusks are by no means rare. But the most important function performed by the tusks is as 

 instruments for procuring food. A part of its time is spent by the Morse on banks and among shoal 

 water, where lie buried in the mud shell-fish in abundance. Certain kinds of Mussels and Cockles are 

 here dug up by the tusks and gulped, often shells and all ; but occasionally it swallows Shrimps, Star- 

 fish, and marine worms. Dr. Robert Brown states that whenever killed near a Whale's carcass, the 

 stomach of the Walrus was invariably found crammed with the Whale-flesh. Some say they eat sea- 

 weeds ; but the young animal possessed by the Zoological Society, though tried by Mr. Bartlett, 

 refused these, but greedily took Mussels, Whelks, Clams, and the stomachs and intestines and other 

 soft part of fishes cut small. This said young one could not swallow anything larger than a walnut, 

 and from the way in which it used its mouth bristles, in brushing backwards and forwards the food 

 and sucking everything through them, their use as a sieve was very manifest. 



Whatsoever their diet they thrive on it, and store up much fat, though less proportionally than 

 Seals. Like some of the Sea Lions, they have the curious habit of swallowing stones, the economy of 

 which is imperfectly understood. But there can be 110 doubt of the fact, or of another equally strange, 

 that of their protracted fasts. During the autumn months the Sea Horses will muster in force 

 on land, and quite lethargic there doze for days or weeks without tasting food, thus recalling the 

 hibernation of the Bear tribe. The Walrus is infested with skin-parasites and intestinal-worms, and 

 the pebble-swallowing habit is supposed to relieve the irritation of the latter. 



Not unfrequently a troop will be found sleeping bolt upright in the water, and so soundly that a 

 boat can approach close to them before they awake. They can remain under water, some say an hour, 

 before requiring to take breath, but the length of time doubtless depends on circumstances ; and 

 ordinarily, or when suddenly distiirbed, barely a third of that time. 



The brain is largely developed, and has many sinuosities, so that in comparison with the Dog or 

 Cat tribes the Walrus ought to possess considerable intelligence. Acts displaying this quality, 

 however, are only sparingly manifested in the young where domestication has been attempted. 



A surgeon who accompanied one of the Dundee sealers relates how a juvenile Walrus, being 

 captured, became in a few days quite at home, and a general favourite among the crew. It quickly 

 formed a friendship with an Eskimo Dog which was on board. They ate out of the same dish, 

 although " Jamie," the Walrus, took good cai-e always to secure the larger share. Whenever the Dog 

 retired to his barrel to sleep, " Jamie " bundled his own fat carcass right on the top of him, and as 

 doggie rebelled against such an un wieldly bedfellow it usually ended in " Jamie " having it all to himself. 

 The latter ate blubber, beef, pork, and almost everything given him, but his favourite dish was pea- 

 soup. Into this he would plunge his face, which procedure left him a most comical countenance. He 

 seemed to know his name well, for even if fast asleep the instant any one cried out " Jamie !" he would 

 rouse up, gaze anxiously about, grunt, grunting in reply. But the most remarkable trait in 

 his character was an intense hatred of solitude. When alone on deck he appeared a picture of misery, 

 grunting and endeavouring to make his way down " 'tween deck " after the men ; and on more than 

 one occasion precipitated himself, to his peril, plump down the main hatchway, a height of about nine 



