248 BEASTS AND MEN 
appealing cries for help, that a gigantic male was attracted 
and delivered a furious attack upon the boat, driving three 
great holes through it with his tusks. 
The commonest way of catching young walruses is to kill 
the mother ; indeed this is usually necessary before the cap- 
ture can be carried out. One of the animals I now have at 
Stellingen was caught in a very ingenious though pathetic 
manner. The mother was first killed and drawn into close 
proximity with the boat, which was then allowed to remain 
still. Before very long the cub came looking for his mother, 
and having found her, climbed up on her back, where he was 
easily caught and secured. On the voyage when the hunters 
captured the five walruses which I have mentioned as being 
recently added to my collection, no fewer than sixty-eight 
others were killed. The captors were able to sell their hides 
for £3 19s. percwt. Captain Hansen says that the largest 
walruses are to be found in Franz-Josef Land. During last 
year's catch an animal was found there with tusks two feet 
six inches long and weighing 53 lbs. each. ‘They were sold 
for about 3s. 2d. per Ib. 
Except during the pairing season, in September and Octo- 
ber, the sexes among the walruses live separately, the young 
going about with the females. Thus in the year 1886 Cap- 
tain Hansen found on the north coast of North-East Land a 
herd of 370 individuals, all females. Every one of them was 
slaughtered by five ships’ crews. The females also frequent 
the north coast of Spitzbergen at about 81° N. latitude. The 
males, on the other hand, may be found in Storefiord, 
the straits between Spitzbergen and Edge Island. The 
largest male seen by the hunters on their last voyage 
weighed nearly 3 tons. This animal they were fortunate 
enough to kill, and its hide alone weighed nearly half a ton. 
The young were caught near Cape Flora in Northbrook 
Island, but the richest hunting-ground is now the north coast 
of Siberia. 
According to Captain Hansen, the food of walruses con- 
