With the exception of the tusks, the form of the walrus does not differ materially from that of the seal. Head round, with a short nose; mouth small, with strong bristles; small red eyes; short neck; colour variable; rest of the body similar to the seal; but its toes, especially in the hind feet, are much stronger. The walrus is monogamous but in other respects its habits are nearly the same with those of the seal. It brings forth its young in the same manner, preys on the same kinds of fish, and, like the seal, ascends the ice, (more rarely the land,) to bask in the sun. The walrus is a very valuable animal, yielding frequently half a tun of oil, equally valuable with that of the whale. The tusks are said to be more valuable than those of the elephant, as being more compact and hard, and consequently taking a finer polish: the skin, which is nearly an inch thick, is used to cover the masts or yards of ships, where they cross each other, to prevent their being injured by the friction. It was formerly cut into ropes; and Buffon mentions its being used at Paris in the springs of carriages. The walrus becomes very furious when attacked, and the whole herd join to revenge any injury an individual may have received. If wounded in the water, they will sometimes surround the boat, and attempt to sink her, by striking their tusks against her sides and bottom. Their combats with the bear, their most dangerous enemy among the lower animals, have been already described.[21] [21] This account is conformable to that given by the greatest number of writers, but Fabricius seems to be of a different opinion as to the ferocity of the walrus. “_Improviso vulneratus infeslat; venatore autem præviso fugit._” Faun. Groenl. p. 5. The water and air round Spitzbergen abound more with inhabitants than the land; the fish are perhaps not more numerous than the birds, which are there seen in thousands: of these I shall only describe a few of the most curious species. The _Procellaria glacialis_ or _Mallemukke_ of the Dutch, is found in very great abundance in the seas of Spitzbergen, especially in the whale-fishing season.--Bill yellow and strong; neck, tail, and under part of the body, white; back, and coverts of the wings, ash; primaries dusky; legs straw-colour. The bird is carnivorous, and feeds on the blubber of cetaceous fish, and on other dead carcasses floating in the sea. They are often seen following whales, especially wounded ones, on whom they pounce at every time of their rising to breathe, and tear the blubber from their back. As soon as the carcass of a whale is sent adrift after the blubber is taken off, it is covered over with these voracious birds, who then make a loud worrying noise. When a fish is alongside the ship, they surround it in vast numbers, and are so eager of their prey, that they suffer themselves to be caught with the hand, and may be knocked down easily by those on the whale, or in the boats.