The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1904-10-06

The exceptions to this rule are found
during the breeding season, among
both males and females, the former in
defense OF the latter, and the latter in
defense Of their young. And as they
are very. soelable ureatures liking to
herd In hundreds, an. attacking boat.
may suddenly find itself surrounded
by a herd Of infurlnted walrus, each
armed with formidable weapons before
noted. Contrary to the expectation
aroused by its appearance, the walrus
has large and fully developed brain,
although not especially notable for in
telligence, But then the study Of the
brain is so far from being well adj
vanced that we do not Vet know why
the elephant with its comparatively in
significant brain should be so much
more intelligent than the OK ofie.eighth
of the elephants bulk, and with a
brain almost as large. Or why the
sperm whale should be SO intelligent
with brain about the same size as the
OK and a body one hundred times
larger. Perhaps in the latter instance
there is q distribution of brain at points
along the spinal column so that mes.
sages from the outlying parts of the
body should not have so far to travel.
I do not here try to be funny, but only
state what has been seriously suggest
ed by naturalists.
THEIR STRONG PARENTAL IN.
STINCT.
In one respect at any rate, the wal,
rus is the equal of any of the higher
intelligences, That is In the parental
quality. No animal cares for its off
spring so long or more lovingly. No
animal will willingly undergo more
suffering and privation for the sake Of
Its young. There can be no doubt that
the female walrus suckles its young aud
provides other food for it as well dur
ing the latter part of the period, for
two years. This has been, / think,
abundantly proved by observation, and,
moreover, the great canine teeth which
develop into the formidable tusks char
acteristic of this animal, do not show
more than an inch or two until 1t is
two years old. But the mother never
seems to weary of her huge burden,
the baby, If it be O male, often reach
ing its mothers proportions before 1t
is weaned. With infinite, devoted pa
thence she cares for it, ,watches over it,
defends it with her own body, and,
one is tempted to say, loves her burden
so much that she is grieved when she
must lay it down. However that may
be, 1t is certain that the walrus for all
their uncouth appearance and extraor-
binary method Of living $50 totally diff
ferent from all other sea mammals;
whateverl enjoy their lives to the full
In the best sense of the term. In one.
respect, indeed, they are extremely
fortunate; with the exception of man
they have no enemies.
The great Polar bear does not lightly
engage in combat with "Awuk," since
he knows that in those formidable.
tusks he has opposing weapons that
are quite match for even his tremen-
dous claws and teeth, while the hide Of
the walrus is so thick and tough as to
be almost impenetrable to even the on
slaught Of the great white terror of the
Arctic seas. Consequently, the walrus
lives a fairly peaceful life among his
fellows. He does not prey upon them,
and nature has so equipped him that
they cannot prey upon him. But man
has wrought terrible havoc among the
walrus. Even as far back as 1927 it is
recorded in receipt presented at Ber-
gen that the Greenlanders paid their
tribute to the Crusades in walrus tusks.
And all along the Labrador coast as
well as the Gulf Of st. Lawrence,
where walrus now would be almost
rs Great a curiosity as seal on the.
Englich coast they were a century ag9
SO numerous that hundreds werE
slaughtered in a Cay. Various causes
have, however, reduced the hunting
of the walrus TO an insignificant matter
confined chiefly to the Eskimos, who
are fairly entitled to the produce Of
their hunting since they are sportsmcn
in tho best sense Of the term. They
GO not Kill for tic sake Of killing, but
FOR tlclr very life, and the walrus is
one OF their chosen objects Of the chase
for his srcculence (fron an Eskimo
standpoilh, from his lack of speed, and
IRON bis love Of shallow waters, where
Ee Ends the humble mollusks upon
which he feeds, Such gaps as the
Eskimo5 male il the ranks OF the waif
rus Will DO no more than preserve the
natural balance necessary. II only
civilized nan VIII let the walrus alone.
having found that the hunting does
not pay, there will soon be as many as