26 



moutli comparatively small ; fore and hind limbs of same size ; fingers 

 of anterior feet nailless, the outer one longest ; toes of posterior feet 

 provided with small pointed nails, — the inner toes longest, the inner 

 and outer toes lobed ; tail very short, rudimentary ; mammse four, 

 ventral ; body exceedingly bulky, broadest round the chest ; males and 

 females of nearly the same size ; hind limbs free, bent forward in 

 repose ; progression on land principally effected by the abdominal 

 muscles ; movements slow in water or on land ; in habits sluggish, 

 monogamous, and gregarious. 



The Trichechus' Eosmarus,' Walrus,^ Morse,' Sea-horse, Sea-cow, Ac, 

 is the only species known of this family — one so singularly conspicuous 

 among the many strange forms which peculiarize the members of this 

 order as to be instantly recognized. It is sufficient, then, without 

 entering into comparative detail with other species, to allude to the 

 two long and powerful canines, exserted from the upper jaw, and to 

 the massive bones of the convex skull, modified wholly with reference 

 to these enormously developed tusks, as forms of structure unpossessed 

 by any other of the seal tibe, and consequently as being strikingly 

 distinctive. 



These tusks are sometimes two feet long, proportionately thick, and 

 weigh between eight and ten pounds each. 



They are much prized, for the ivory of which they are composed is 

 denser and of a more permanent white than that of the elephant, and 

 it, therefore, is more intrinsically valuable as an article of export. 



The "Walrus commonly measures from 10 to 14 feet in length ; 

 but an old male will reach to 20 feet, or even more, and in 

 its bulk it corresponds to that of a large ox, although occasionally 

 it will attain the dimensions of the elephant. The skin is thick, from 

 one to two inches, black and smooth, and sparingly covered with short, 

 stiff, hairs ; in the adult, of a pale brown colour ; in the young, blackish ; 

 and in the aged, of a whitish hue. 



Inhabit. . The icy regions of the North.'' 



These animals appear to be omnivorous in their diet, for marine 

 plants, molluscs, shrimps, cray-fish, and even portions of young seals, 

 have been found in their stomachs. 



"When unmolested, they are quiet and inoffensive creatures, passing 

 their existence harmoniously, in vast flocks upon rocky banks, or 

 along sandy beaches, and during repose lie frequently huddled one over 

 the other, like swine, delighting in solitudes far away from the haunts 

 of man. 



' 6pl^, rpix^s, head with bristles, and ex"; having. 



' itosmar, Norwegian name of Walrus, or Rval-ros, Whale-horse. 



5 Morss, EuBsian name of the animal. 



* Arctic and Antarctic Regions, Wood, lUust. Nat. Hist., p. 515. Polar Regions of 

 both Memispheres, Sket. Wat. Hist., 1849, p. 199. St. Lorenza, near Callao Bonelli 

 Trav. in Bolivia. ' ' 



