324 
ARCTIC WALRUS. 
put this animal to various uses. They make thread 
of the tendons ; of the skin they make straps ; they 
use the teeth to head their darts, and burn the fat 
in their lamps. 
Polar bears are the avowed enemies of the walrus, 
and dreadful conflicts frequently ensue between 
them : the point of dispute is generally a piece of 
ice, both parties claiming the possession, and nei- 
ther being willing to give way. In these disputes 
the walrus is usually victorious, on account of its 
tusks ; though the effects of these battles are very 
evident, for the hunters rarely find a beast with the 
long teeth entire. 
In the fifty-sixth volume of the Philosophical 
Transactions, there is a paper by lord Shuldham 
giving an account of this animal, with which we shall 
conclude : 
“ The walrus, or sea-cow as it is called by the 
Americans, is a native of the Magdalene Islands, 
St. John’s, and Anticosti, in the gulf of St. Law - 
rence. They resort, very early in the spring, to the 
former of these places, which seems particularly 
adapted to the nature of these animals, abounding 
with escallops of a very large size, and the most 
convenient landing-places called echoueries. Here 
they crawl up in great numbers, and remain some- 
times for fourteen days together without food when 
the weather is fair; but on the first appearance of rain, 
they retreat to the water with great precipitation. 
“ They are when out of the water very unwieldy, 
and move with great difficulty. They weigh from 
