APPEARANCE OF THE WALRUS OFF SHETLAND ISLES 179 



APPEARANCE OF THE WALRUS OFF THE 

 SHETLAND ISLES 



The following interesting and very full account of the 

 appearance during the present summer of a Walrus off the 

 Shetland Isles, has been received from Mr Henry Jamieson, 

 Principal Keeper of the Skerries Lighthouse, in response to 

 an enquiry made by Dr W. Eagle Clarke, based on informa- 

 tion received from Mr J. S. Tulloch. 



Mr Jamieson wrote on 21st August 1920, from the 

 Skerries Lighthouse, placed on one of a group of isolated 

 islets, gh miles east of Mainland and 24 miles north-east of 

 Lerwick : " There is no doubt about the presence of a 

 very fair specimen of the Walrus in this neighbourhood. It 

 was first seen here early in July by our boatman and his 

 son, while they were lifting a small fishing line inshore at 

 the entrance of Angry Sound, and it followed their boat some 

 distance, keeping about 50 yards astern of the boat. Since 

 then we, the lighthouse people, have seen it on three 

 separate occasions and always at the same spot, namely, 

 about a quarter of a mile inshore from the lighthouse, and 

 about 50 yards within the entrance of Hog Sound. The 

 first time we saw it from the Rock it remained on the surface 

 of the water for about two hours, as if it were sleeping or 

 basking in the sun. If it was sleeping or basking in the 

 sun, it was often yawning during its sleep, for occasionally 

 it opened such a big mouth as if its whole face was lifting 

 on a hinge. 



" Looking through our telescope I would have said that 

 its tusks were about 12 inches in length my neighbour, 

 Mr M'Kenzie, says 15 inches, only at the distance we might 

 both be a bit out in our estimate. The last time^ we 

 saw it was on Monday afternoon, the 9th August, when it 

 only remained up for a short time. The ladies from the 

 shore station went down to the shore to have a better view 



1 Later communications referred to below, record subsequent 

 appearances. 



