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]
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.
Though extremely fetid, the Greenlanders account the flesh of the Mallemukke good food, and eat it either raw or dressed. The fat they burn in lamps.
When caught, the Mallemukke not only attacks with its bill, but spurts the blubber out of its mouth and nostrils in the face of its captor. Their flight is a kind of race along the surface of the water. They build their nests on rugged precipices, and at other times seldom come to land.
Larus parasiticus, or Artic Gull. Bill dusky, and much curved at the end; crown black; back, wings, and tail, dusky; the rest white. The two middle feathers of the tail are three or four inches longer than the rest. The female is altogether brown. Length about fourteen inches.
The Artic gull lives almost solely on the fish taken by other birds; to obtain which, it follows and harasses them till they either drop their prey, or vomit with fear; it then devours the residue before it falls into the sea.[22] The Artic gull is frequently taken sleeping on the water.
Anas mollissima, or Eider Duck, is sometimes found on the coast of Spitzbergen in vast numbers, especially in winter. Bill black, and somewhat elevated; from the forehead, which is a glossy black, extends a dark purple stripe beyond each eye: neck, body, and tail, a mixture of black and white; legs green. The body of the female is mostly of an iron colour, striped with black; tail of an ash hue.