ter of course and no remonstrance is offered at the constant inter- 

 ruption of their repose. 



Naturally disposed to quiet, they seldom begin an attack against 

 an enemy. On the defensive, however, they prove a dangerous foe, 

 since the whole herd takes up the quarrel of any member and, with 

 the indescribable bellowing peculiar to them, rushes upon the adver- 

 sary. Here, again, the tusks are useful, this time as their weapon, 

 and with it they are a match for even the polar bear. 



The walrus has long furnished the Esquimaux with food, fuel 

 and light, but is now being hunted by far more systematic methods. 

 The hide, oil and ivory all have a sufficiently high commercial value 

 to tempt men to undergo the risks incurred in the pursuit of this 

 animal and, as a consequence, its numbers are rapidly diminishing. 



237 



