1074 The Zoologist — February, 1868. 



readers may remember, and to which the young walrus bears a very 

 striking resemblance in general form and appearance. I do not know 

 any illustration in books of Natural History which gives a good idea 

 of the creature ; the ordinary drawing is much too rounded, smooth 

 and bulky, while that in Professor Bell's work is too seal-like in its 

 attitude; Mr. Wood's portrait of the present specimen, in the 'Field' 

 of November 16th, has a flattened and depressed look, and is too rough 

 and woolly-looking : the engraving in ' The Illustrated London News' 

 is much better. In shape the young walrus is singularly ungainly and 

 angular; his skin is marked all over the neck and flanks with deep 

 wrinkles and is covered with closely-lying brownish hairs. Professor 

 Bell describes the adult animal, however, as having only "a very kvr 

 short stiffish brown hairs, principally on the feet" ('British Quad- 

 rupeds,' p. 289). His tusks have not yet made their appearance, 

 but he possesses a most formidable beard of stout stiff bristles, 

 which makes him resemble, according to a friend of mine, " an old 

 baldheaded dragoon officer with a heavy gray moustache." The 

 eye is small but intelligent, the orifice of the ear inconspicuous, and 

 the mouth rather small. 



In his ordinary position the fore feet or flippers are turned outwards 

 and backwards, while the hind feet are directed forwards. In this 

 way the walrus manages to walk, or rather shuffle, along in an awkward 

 waddling manner, very like the gait of the sea-bear, but very different 

 from the still more grotesque manner in which the seals in the next 

 inclosure hop along on their bellies. His swimming and diving are 

 of course much more dexterous than his movements on shore, and his 

 "headers" from the sides of the tank are very neatly executed. The 

 keeper informs me that on the walrus being released from his house 

 one morning he found his pond covered with a thin sheet of ice ; at 

 once he plunged through it, and then swam round and round, bringing 

 up his head at intervals with such force as to break the ice, and con- 

 tinuing to do so till he had smashed it all up. Dr. Kane, in his 

 'Arctic Adventures,' gives drawings of the "atluks," or walrus- and 

 seal-holes in the ice, at which these animals are often waylaid and 

 shot. 



The present specimen already recognises his keeper and comes to 

 his call, but has not yet learned any accomplishments, which he will 

 probably do in time. 



Many interesting particulars as to the haunts and habits of the 

 walrus will be found in Mr. Lainont's work, already quoted, and a full 



