NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 93 



Otters are found more or less plentifully all along the coast line, 

 through. South TJist to Barra Head. 



John Macgillivray mentions the fact of the Otters in the Hebrides 

 being of the darker coloured type.* I have not had an opportunity 

 of comparing them with those obtained on the mainland. 



A shepherd in North TJist, on his own beat alone, had shot over 

 70 Otters during a residence of 25 years. 



3. MAPTEN. 



Martes sylvestris, Nilsson. Gaelic — Taglian. 



In 1870 this species was reported as present in Harris, but not 

 abundant. There are no trees in Harris — or at least only a very 

 few at scattered localities — and the Martens which are procured 

 are found amongst cairns and long heather on the hillsides. It 

 occurs in the Mhorsgail deer-forest in Lewis (Prof. Duns, op. cit). 

 It was recorded so long ago as 1777, by Pennant, as occurring in 

 Harris (Lightfoot's " Flora Scotica," &c). The " Polecats " of the 

 "Old Stat. Account" of Lewis were undoubtedly Martens. At 

 the present time (1879) the Marten is very rare in Harris. 



Mr. H. Greenwood tells me — " There seem to be no Martens left 

 in the Lews. Certainly they were here at one time, but have been 

 destroyed." In lit., 27 th December, 1879. 



Carnivora. Phocidae. 



Pinnipedia. 



i. COMMON SEAL. 

 Phoca vitulina, Linn. 



The Common Seal is very abundant on these coasts — perhaps 

 nowhere more so than in the Sound of Harris. I have seen 

 twelve upon a small sloping rock in Loch Maddy, which was just 

 sufficiently large to afford them resting room. 



Their habit of springing out of water like salmon has been 

 noticed by several observers under somewhat different circum- 

 stances. Mr. Macdonald, of Newton, told me that he once saw a 

 number of Seals rushing against a strong tide-stream between two 

 rocks in the Sound of Harris. They followed one another in 

 single file, " springing right out of the water like salmon breasting 

 a fall." The place, which he pointed out to me afterwards, is not 

 more than forty yards in width, and the ebbing tide, when I saw 



* Op. cit. 



