The Walrus is so big that I can give
you no idea how big he is, excepting to say that he will weight
two thousand pounds. He is simply a great mass of living flesh
covered with a rough, very thick skin without hair. From his
upper jaw two immense ivory tusks hang straight down, and with
these he digs up shellfish at the bottom of the sea. It is a
terrible effort for him to move on shore, and so he is content to
stay within a few feet of the water. He also lives in the cold
waters of the Far North amidst floating ice. On this he often
climbs out to lie for hours. His voice is a deep grunt or
bellowing roar. The young are born on land close to the water.
"The Sea Lions belong to this same fin-footed order. The best
known of these are the California Sea Lion and the Fur Seal, which
is not a true Seal. The California Sea Lion is also called the
Barking Sea Lion because of its habit of barking, and is the best
known of the family. It is frequently seen on the rocks along the
shore and on the islands off the western coast. These Sea Lions
are sleek animals, exceedingly graceful in the water. They have
long necks and carry their heads high. They are covered with short
coarse hair and have small, sharp-pointed ears. Their front flippers
have neither hair nor claws, but their hind flippers have webbed
toes. They are able to move about on land surprisingly well for
animals lacking regular legs and feet, and can climb on and over
rocks rapidly.
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