Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 24.djvu/362

Rh rarely far out in the open sea; and, though often moving from one part of their feeding ground to another, they have no regular seasonal migrations. Their young are born between the months of April and June, usually but one at a time, never more than two. Their strong affection for their young, and their sympathy for each other in times of danger, have been particularly noticed by all who have had the opportunity of observing them in their native haunts. When one of their number is wounded, the whole herd usually join in a concerted and intelligent defence. Although harmless and inoffensive when not molested, they exhibit considerable fierceness when attacked, using their great tusks with tremendous effect either on human enemies who come into too close quarters or on polar bears, the only other adversary they can meet with in their own natural territory. Their voice is a loud roaring, and can be heard at a great distance; it is described by Dr Kane as "something between the mooing of a cow and the deepest baying of a mastiff, very round and full, with its bark or detached notes repeated rather quickly seven or nine times in succession."

The principal food of the walrus consists of bivalved molluscs, especially Mya truncata and Saxicava rugosa, two species very abundant in the Arctic regions, which it digs up from the mud and sand in which they lie buried at the bottom of the sea by means of its tusks. It crushes and removes the shells by the aid of its grinding teeth and tongue, and swallows only the soft part of the animal. It also feeds on other molluscs, sand-worms, star-fishes, and shrimps. Portions of various kinds of algæ or sea-weeds have been found in its stomach, but whether swallowed intentionally or not is still doubtful.

The commercial products of the walrus are its oil, hide (used to manufacture harness and sole-leather and twisted into tiller ropes), and tusks. The ivory of the latter is, however, inferior in quality to that of the elephant. Its flesh forms an important article of food to the Eskimo and Tchuktchis. Of the coast tribes of the last-named people the walrus forms the chief means of support. "The flesh supplies them with food, the ivory tusks are made into implements used in the chase and for other domestic purposes, as well as affording a valuable article of barter, and the skin furnishes the material for covering their summer habitations, harness for their dog-teams, and lines for their fishing gear" (Scammon).

Geographically the walrus is confined to the northern circumpolar regions of the globe, extending apparently as far north as explorers have penetrated, but its southern range has been much restricted of late in consequence of the persecutions of man. On the Atlantic coast of America it was met with in the 16th century as low as the southern coast of Nova Scotia and in the last century was common in the Gulf of St Lawrence and on the shores of Labrador. It still inhabits the coast round Hudson's Bay, Davis Straits, and Greenland, where, however, its numbers are daily decreasing. It is not found on the Arctic coast of America between the 97th and 158th meridians. In Europe, occasional stragglers have reached the British Isles, and it was formerly abundant on the coasts of Finmark. It is rare in Iceland, but Spitzbergen, Nova Zembla, and the western part of the north coast of Siberia are still constant places of resort, in all of which a regular war of extermination is carried on. The North Pacific, including both sides of Behring's Strait, northern Kamchatka, Alaska, and the Pribyloff Islands are also the haunts of numerous walruses, which are isolated from those of the North Atlantic by the long stretches of coast, both of Siberia and North America, in which they do not occur. The Pacific walrus appears to be as large as, if not larger than, that of the Atlantic; its tusks are longer and more slender, and curved inwards; the whiskers are smaller, and the muzzle relatively deeper and broader. These and certain other minor differences have induced some naturalists to consider it specifically distinct under the name of Trichechus obesus. Its habits appear to be quite similar to those of the Atlantic form. Though formerly found in immense herds, it is rapidly becoming scarce, as the methods of destruction used by the American whalers, who have systematically entered upon its pursuit, are far more certain and deadly than those of the native Tchuktchis, to whom, as mentioned before, the walrus long afforded the principal means of subsistence. Fossil remains of walruses and closely allied animals have been found in the United States, and in England, Belgium, and France, in deposits of Quaternary and late Tertiary age.

An exhaustive account of this animal, with references to all the authors who have written upon it, will be found in Allen's History of North American Pinnipeds, 1880.

 WALSALL, a municipal and parliamentary borough and market-town of Staffordshire, England, is situated chiefly on an eminence above a rivulet tributary to the Tame, on various canals and branch railway lines, 8 miles north- north-west of Birmingham and 123 north-west of London. The principal street is spacious and regular, and, although the side streets are generally crooked and mean, the suburbs are for the most part built with regularity and neatness. The parish church of St Matthew, occupying a prominent position on an eminence, is a handsome modern building in the Transition style. The other five parish churches are also all modern. The schools include the grammar school, founded in 1554 for the education of boys, natives of Walsall, in the classics, the blue coat and national infant schools, and several board schools. The public library, established in 1859, enlarged in 1872, contains about 12,000 volumes; the scientific and art institution was established in 1854, and the literary institute in 1883. Among the principal public buildings are the town-hall in the Italian style, erected in 1866 ; the guild hall (1773), the theatre (formed out of the old agricultural hall in 1881), the drill hall (1866), the temperance hall (1866), the county court-house (1869), and the post-office (1879). The charitable institutions include the corporation alms- houses (1825) ; Harper s almshouses for six women, founded in the reign of James I. and rebuilt in 1793; the Henry Boy s almshouse, opened in 1887; the memorial cottages at Caldmore, erected in 1868 by private benefaction of two townspeople, for twelve poor couples or widows ; the Walsall cottage hospital (1863); the epidemic hospital (1872); and a number of minor charities. In the vicinity of the town are extensive coal-mines and limestone quarries. Ironstone is also obtained, and brick clay is dug. The town possesses iron and brass foundries, corn mills, and tanneries. One of the staple industries is the manufacture of the various kinds of ironmongery required in the construction of harness and carriages. Locks and keys, bolts, pulleys, and other hardware goods are also largely manufactured. The town is governed by a mayor, six aldermen, and eighteen councillors. The area of the municipal borough was extended in 1877 to 6929 acres ; the population in 1871 was 46,447 (estimate of that in the extended area 49,018), and in 1881 it was 58,795. The population of the parliamentary borough (area 7478 acres) in 1871 was 49,018, and in 1881 it was 59,402. In the early part of the 10th century Walsall was fortified by Ethelfleda, daughter of Alfred the Great and countess of Mercia. At the time of the Conquest it was retained by William as a royal demesne for about twenty years, until it was bestowed on Robert, son of Asculpus, who had accompanied the Conqueror to Engla7id. Subsequently it was owned by Richard Neville, earl of Warwick, the king-maker, and it was held successively by Henry VII. and Henry VIII. By the latter it was granted to John Dudley, duke of Northumberland, on whose attainder and execution in the reign of Mary it was forfeited and came into the possession of the Wilbrahams, from whom it passed by marriage to the Bridgmans. It is spoken of by Camden as &quot; none of the meanest of market towns.&quot; Queen Elizabeth visited Walsall in the 28th year of her reign, and made a grant of lands to the town. Walsall was the residence of Henrietta Maria for a short, time in 1643. It is a borough by prescription, but received charters from Edward III. and Henry IV., confirming the privileges and immunities con ferred on it by previous sovereigns. Its oldest charter is that bestowed in the 3d of Charles I., which was confirmed in the 13th of Charles II. It is now governed under the Municipal Act of 1835. It was constituted a parliamentary borough by the Reform Act of 1832, and returns one member to parliament.

WALSH, WILLIAM (1663-1709), is included among Johnson s Most Eminent English Poets, but is justly said to be &quot; known more by his familiarity with greater men than by anything done or written by himself.&quot; It was he who gave Pope in his boyhood the advice to study correct ness. The value of his counsel is acknowledged in the Essay on Criticism (1. 729). He was a native of Wor cestershire, represented his native county in several parlia ments, and was gentleman of the horse to Queen Anne.

WALSINGHAM, SIR FRANCIS (c. 1536-1590), secre tary of state under Elizabeth, was descended from an old Norfolk family, and was the third and youngest son of William Walsingham of Scadbury, Chislehurst, Kent, where he was born about 1536. After a good private education he entered King s College, Cambridge, but did 