96 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



of Harris, and Mr. Macdonald, of Newton, pointed out to me various 

 favourite rocks in the Sound which the Great Seal frequents in 

 small numbers. Some confusion amongst natives exists as to the 

 difference between the Great Grey and the Greenland Seals, all 

 apparently going under the name of " Grey " or " Haskeir " Seals. 

 The dark markings on the side of the back, on either side of the 

 spine, are very prominent in the Greenland Seal, however, and can 

 hardly fail to arrest the attention.* 



Captain H. J. Elwes visited Haskeir Island on 30th June, 1866, 

 and saw a few of the large seals in the water. 



" Up to the year 1858," as Captain Elwes informs me, " it was 

 the custom annually to have a battue there in November, when the 

 Seals resort to the rocks with their young ones. The boats arrived 

 usually about daybreak, and the men cut off the retreat of the Seals 

 lying on the rocks, and killed from 40 to 100 young and old. They 

 used to be divided amongst the men, but the farms of Vallay, 

 Scolpig, and Balitone, were each entitled to a larger share. This 

 battue was stopped by the late proprietor, Sir J. Orde, Bart." 



John Macgillivray also observed this species on a rock off the 

 west coast of South Uist. 



Mr. Macdonald, of Newton, has been present at the killing of 

 53 in one day at Haskeir, where they breed, t 



In the Sound of Harris is a rock called to this day Skeir na 

 Taibheist, which is still frequented by a pair of the large Grey 

 Seal, and in June, 1879, I saw a pair of very large specimens 

 upon it. This rock has borne the name for many years, and the 

 fact of their breeding in the Sound of Harris cannot be doubted, 

 as the young have been found upon the rocks even of late years. 



* Macgillivray also takes notice of the fact that the Great Seals seldom 

 enter the shallow sounds, but Mr. J. Henderson has given me evidence of 

 their occurrence within the range of the Outer Hebrides, upon a certain 

 isolated rock (en ore). 



t For some account of the catching of these seals and apportioning of them 

 afterwards, see Martin, op. cit. p. 60, et seq. Donald Maclean, in his 

 "Account of one of the Hebrides, " made mention of the practice of hunting 

 seals with dogs : the services of which, however, could amount only to 

 irritating them to resistance, and thus by detaining them, gain time to the 

 hunter to attack them with a club (vide Edmonstone's "Seals of the 

 Shetlaud Isles," p. 37). A hundred years previous to the date of Martin's 

 work, however, six times this number have been killed during oue battue. 

 On the rock of Easmuil 320 have been killed in one day (Martin, Western 

 Islands, p. 62). 



