WALRUS. 



"5 



depending from the upper jaw. In the adult animal internally to these tusks there 

 is usually a row of four small teeth, of which in the young state the first is 

 situated in advance of the latter, and is, therefore, an incisor ; the other three being 

 premolars. The lower jaw has but four teeth on each side, of which the foremost 

 corresponds to the upper tusk, while the other three represent the premolars. 

 Consequently, an adult walrus has but eighteen teeth altogether. The young 

 animal has, however, two pairs of incisor teeth in both jaws, and five upper and 

 four lower cheek-teeth ; thus, with the tusks, bringing up the total number of teeth 

 to thirty. We thus see that the young walrus presents resemblances to the eared 

 seals in respect of the number of its teeth, which are totally lost in the adult 

 animal. Our figure of the skeleton 

 of the walrus shows the tusks in 

 their full development; the illus- 

 tration of the living animal being 

 taken from examples with poorly- 

 developed tusks. With the excep- 

 tion of these large upper tusks, all 

 the teeth have low, blunted, sub- 

 conical crowns, admirably adapted 

 for crushing the molluscs on which 

 these animals so largely subsist. 



In comparison with the size 

 of the body, the head of the walrus 

 is rather small, and while squared 

 and abruptly truncated in front is 

 somewhat rounded behind ; this 

 rounded appearance being increased 

 by the absence of all trace of 

 external ears. The muzzle seems to 

 be divided into two lobes by the 



vertical groove below the nostrils, and is furnished on either side with a number of 

 stout translucent bristles growing from the upper lips. The eye is very small ; and 

 tlie entire head has a remarkably rugged and battered appearance ; the lower jaw 

 narrowing to a point between the upper tusks. The latter, which ordinarily project 

 to a length of from 12 to 15 or more inches below the level of the gum, com- 

 municate, of course, the most striking and characteristic feature to the head, and 

 indeed to the whole animal. Although relatively longer than in the true seals, the 

 neck is shorter than in the eared seals, and gradually thickens posteriorly, where 

 it imperceptibly merges into the trunk. The body is extremely bulky and 

 ungainly, with a rounded outline, and diminishing gradually in- size from the 

 shoulders to the hind-quarters. The tail is very small ; and the limbs are to a 

 great extent enclosed in the skin of the trunk. There are five rudimentary claws 

 on both the fore and the hind-feet, the soles of which are completely devoid 

 of hair. 



In the youngof the walrus the body is thickly covered with short, yellowish brown 

 fur, which is thinner and shorter on the under-parts and limbs than elsewhere, 



HEAD OP WALRUS. 



