1900-1901.] Recent Observations in Natural History. 209 
_ seemed abnormally long, there being no church in the district 
‘save a Roman Catholic chapel, the waves of the Reformation 
_ never having reached that locality. Taking a walk along the 
shores of Loch Aylort, I observed a number of seals, and 
_ having admired a beautiful sofa blanket of sealskin in the 
hotel, I resolved to make an early start the following morning 
with the endeavour to secure a seal. Having arranged with 
_ Mr Head’s keeper to meet me at the boat-house at 4 AM. he 
_ was there punctually, his rifle with him. It was a beautiful 
_ morning, and as we rowed down the placid lake amid the wild 
mountain scenery, I thought that anything more picturesque 
could scarcely be conceived. It was broad daylight, and as 
the boat silently glided on, no sounds were heard but those of 
_nature—chiefly the screaming of seafowl. Carefully scanning 
the rocks with the telescope, I was for long disappointed in 
getting sight of a seal. After rowing several miles, the 
keeper’s eyes proved better than mine, he knowing where to 
look for them, and he asked for the glass. His English was 
not very good, but he quickly ejaculated “ big fellow.” He 
then rowed on as before. After getting behind an island we 
_ pulled ashore, and the wind being right, we started to stalk 
the seal. There was little difficulty in stalking, and we soon 
got behind a knoll, from the top of which we would be within 
a hundred yards of the object of our pursuit. I examined the 
rifle and saw it was a Mauser, but unfortunately the bullets 
were solid ones, which necessitated hitting the head or neck, 
otherwise he would be certain to sirdaale into the deep, and, 
though perhaps mortally wounded, uli as far I was con- 
ica, be lost for ever. Crawling cautiously to the top of 
the hill, I first noticed a pair of what I took to be immature 
tufted ducks sporting themselves in a small bay. Paying no 
attention to them, however, we crawled a yard or two farther, 
_ and looked down on the seal at a distance of between seventy 
and eighty yards. He was, as the keeper had said, a “ big 
_ fellow,” and as we knew he had no suspicion of danger, we 
_ waited for a time to watch his movements. He lay like a log 
_ of wood on a bed of seaweed which covered the rock, and 
_ periodically moved his head from side to side. I was in the 
act of shifting into a position in which to get a lean, in order, 
as I thought, to put the bullet through his head, when the 
