MAMMALS 13 



21.— COMMON SEAL. Phoca viiulina Liiin. 

 Occasional winter visitor to the coasts. 



22.— GREY SEAL. Halichcerus grypus Fabr. 



Resident on some of the western islands ; visits the estuaries. 



There has evidently been some confusion between this species 

 and the last by observers, and from many enquiries I have 

 come to the conclusion that the Grey Seal is the only species 

 resident and breeding in North Wales, though the Com- 

 mon Seal is a not infrequent winter visitor. Tlie Seals reported 

 off the coast of Lleyn by Col. Wynne Finch and Mr. 0. V. 

 Aplin were almost certainly Grey Seals. jMt. A. Heneage 

 Cocks also tells me that this is the only species he has observed 

 on that coast. In August, 1907, four were seen basking in 

 Forth Ceiriad by Mr. W. W. Cobb. The Seal reported below 

 Chester, November 11th, 1905, was a Grey Seal {Zoologist, 

 1911, 111), as also were individuals seen in the Dovey by Dr. 

 Seymour Jackson, July 9th and October 8th, 1909 ; in the 

 Menai Straits by Mr. L. F. Lort, February 7th, 1909 ; and 

 below the South Stack Lighthouse by Messrs. Steele Elliott and 

 C. Oldham, June 24th, 1910. 



On the other hand, examples of the Common Seal are recorded 

 in the Dee estuary by Coward {'Vert. Fauna Cheshire, I, 42) 

 in December, 1891, winter of 1893-4, November 10th, 1907, 

 and August 12th, 1908 — this last an early date. Mr. R. W. 

 Jones also saw one in Llandudno Bay, November 4th, 1907. 



During a visit to Bardsey in August, 1902, Mr. W. W. Cobb 

 learnt from one of the lighthousemen that Seals were fairly 

 abundant on the island and lived all the year round in Ogof 

 rhuna. A native named Love Pritchard caught a young one 

 in a cave not long before, and kept it alive for some time. 

 These would probably be Grey Seals. The species is known 

 to breed on Lambay, an island off the coast of Dublin. (See 

 Handbook to the Dublin district prepared for the Brit. Association 

 Meeting 1908, p. 111., and Plate VIII. — photos of the young.) 



Mr. O. V. Aplin writes in the Zoologist, 1910, 106 :— " The 

 Bardsey men have told me that in cold weather about Christ- 

 mas, when they are crossing, they hear the Seals making a 

 great noise roimd the islands ' crying like children.' " 



A young Grey Seal was stranded off Hoylake on the 28th 

 October, 1909, and sent alive to Liverpool Museum. For 

 description see Coward, Fauna, Cheshire, I., 46. It is described 

 as very noisy, barking loudly for food, 



Mr, C, Oldham saw a Grey Seal in Afonwen Bay, 31st August, 

 1914. It showed a good deal of curiosity, turning its head 



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