i8o THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



of it, but to this it apparently objected, as it suddenly 

 made a very neat dive and disappeared. 



" On enquiry I find that this is the third occasion on which 

 a Walrus has been seen here at intervals of twenty-five years. 

 Mr Andrew Henderson, our Occasional Keeper, tells me that 

 his father and grandfather saw a Walrus here about fifty 

 years ago ; and Andrew, himself, and his brother saw one 

 twenty-five years ago. They were out at inshore fishing 

 when they saw an animal swimming direct for their boat. 

 At first sight they thought it was a grey Shetland cow, 

 belonging to a neighbouring crofter, and were greatly per- 

 plexed to imagine what had made the cow take to the water. 

 Then they saw it was a strange animal with tusks, and 

 made it out to be a Walrus. 



" The present Walrus is very dark, almost black, on top 

 of its head, and lighter about the neck and back." 



In a subsequent letter Mr Jamieson adds : " The Walrus 

 was seen here to-day, the 25th September, its first observed 

 appearance since 9th August. Mr D. Mackenzie, the 

 keeper ashore, was off' in a small boat fishing 'piltocks' 

 (young coal-fish) when he saw the Walrus and had a good 

 view of it. This was near the place where we last saw the 

 animal. The fishermen say there has been a most unusual 

 number of Sharks to be seen round and about the Shetlands 

 this summer." 



Since these communications were received we have had 

 an interview with Mr Jamieson, who reports that the Walrus 

 was seen on 26th and 27th September, and that, on the former 

 date, it was closely approached in a boat by Mr Mackenzie, 

 when it made a headlong and noisy dive, unlike the gliding 

 dive of a seal, and appeared at close quarters on the other side 

 of the boat. On leaving the Rock on 1 3th October, Mr Jamie- 

 son again saw the Walrus, still in the same neighbourhood. 



In view of the reappearance of this notable stranger, 

 for the knowledge of which we are much indebted to 

 Mr Jamieson and Mr Tulloch, we propose in an early 

 number of the Scottish Naturalist to discuss the visits of 

 the Walrus to Scottish waters. 



