198 BRITISH MAMMALS 



light. The ground colour of the hair of the common seal may- 

 be described as a lemon-yellow inclining to a sickly white or an 

 amber tint. Sometimes this lemon ground is almost greenish by 

 the admixture of gray or brown hairs. On this light ground are 

 scattered many irregular spots, bluish-black with the sheen of the 

 hair. The hind limbs incline more to umber-brown. The strong 

 vibrissae are white. In some specimens the spots are very thick 

 on the back, and are brownish. Some examples of the common 

 seal are almost black all over. Others, again, are a greenish- 

 yellow, with only a few black spots. The large eyes are one 

 uniform tint of deep bluish-brown. 



The number of mammas in the common seal is four. The 

 pairing season round the coasts of the British Islands is in 

 September, and the single young one — occasionally two — is born 

 in the month of June. The young of the common seal takes 

 to the water a few hours after it is born, and as soon as the 

 woolly coat is shed. The mother lies on her side to suckle 

 the calf. 



The common seal, like all members of this sub-order, is not 

 a silent animal, and has considerable inflections of voice. When 

 a number of them are massed together on the rocks out of the 

 water, and are not alarmed, they keep up a constant grunting 

 sound not unlike that made by pigs in a state of contentment. 

 Occasionally this grunt rises into a snort of defiance, more of 

 sportiveness than pugnacity. The young seal makes a constant 

 baaing sound, especially when seeking nourishment from the 

 mother. Adults vary their grunts with a plaintive bleat or a 

 loud bark. In the month of September this harsh coughing 

 or barking noise is distinctly audible on parts of the coasts of 

 Ireland and West Scotland which seals frequent, and is no doubt 

 uttered by males who are attracting or defending mates. Unless 

 very much harassed by human enemies, the seal, in short, is 

 rather a noisy creature, and seems to be fond of sound, for 

 it is undoubtedly attracted by loud talking on the part of 

 fishermen and by music. No doubt it has long since learnt 

 not to inquire too closely into the ways of man, finding that 



