SEAL -SHOOTING. 83 



Preserving, the chief means of bringing down 

 to the level of almost any aspirant two of the 

 four exploits required for a hunting degree, has, 

 by driving it into remote fastnesses, made a 

 third viz., the death of an eagle tolerably diffi- 

 cult to compass. As to the last on the list, the 

 seal, let any one try to bag one under the most 

 favourable auspices, and he may find the task 

 less easy than it appears. I say " bag one " in 

 place of shoot one, for most parties who have 

 made the attempt with their rifles assure you 

 they have been the death of many seals. On 

 pressing the point, you are informed that they 

 all sank on receiving the fatal bullet, and the 

 defunct monsters are rotting under the waves. 



For my own part except those struck through 

 the body on land I have little faith in the death 

 of seals thus suddenly submerged. When hit on 

 land, if the shot is not a header, they are very- 

 likely to flounder into the sea and sink in deep 

 water before you can possibly get hold of or 

 trace them. But all swimming seals, if hit at 

 all, are shot through the head, and immediately 

 spread out on the surface, giving ample time to 



