TRICHECUS ROSMARUS. 81 



Mlsson has placed this Seal in a genus of its own, in which 

 he has been followed by Bell and others. 



It inhabits the North Sea and the Baltic ; has been taken 

 a few times on the coast of England ; oftener on the south 

 coast of Ireland. 



Genus TRICHECUS. WALKUS. 



Two incisors in the upper jaw only while young ; no in- 

 cisors in the lower jaw; canines in the upper jaw only, 

 very long, and directed downwards; grinders, —~ or 



k c 4 4 



^g, obtuse and simple; the head round; muzzle much 

 swollen ; no external ears ; the fore- and hind-feet in their 

 general form like those of the Seals. 



Trichecus Rosmarus. 



Tricheeus Bosmarus, Desm. Mamm. Sp. 388 ; Bell, Brit. Quad. 



Rosmarus arcticus, Pallas, Zoog. Ross. As. 



Walrus. 



Description. — The head is comparatively of moderate size, 

 very obtuse, and tumid in front ; the bristles of the whiskers 

 flattened, being nearly a line in breadth at their origin ; two 

 canine teeth in the upper jaw of enormous dimensions, 

 directed downwards, measuring from 8 inches to 14, and 

 in very old males even exceeding 2 feet ; the incisors and 

 a fifth molar in each jaw are early deciduous ; no external 

 ears ; the orifices placed far back on the head ; the body is 

 very thick about the chest, becoming partially smaller to- 

 wards the tail, as in the true Seals, but its bulk is greater 

 in proportion to its length than in those animals ; neck and 

 tail very short ; the skin is smooth, very thick, blackish, 

 with a few short, stiffish brown hairs, principally on the 

 feet; hind-feet very broad; total length, about 11 feet. 



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