136 COMMON SEAL 



immense havoc among the salmon ; and as in some 

 years there is great scarcity of these fish, and in 

 others great abundance, this circumstance has been 

 associated with the presence of the Seal.* 



They are more common, we believe, both in 

 Scotland and Ireland than in England, more espe- 

 cially where the coast is bold and wild, and where 

 they are little disturbed in their retreats. We con- 

 clude from what has been already said that this 

 Seal is sometimes seen off the coasts of Holland 

 and the neighbouring countries, and it is said to 

 occur in large flocks on the coast of Greenland. 

 This statement, however, very much requires con- 

 firmation. 



Seals, according to the testimony of older authors, 

 were in former times used extensively as food even in 

 these isles. Thus Sir R. Sibbald says that the peo- 

 ple in the island of Uist, Shetland, attack the Seals 

 and kill them; the skin they sell, but the bulks 

 they salt, and in the time of Lent eat them as 

 sweetly as venison ; and Low, in his Orkney, states 

 that in North Ronaldsha they were captured for the 

 purpose of eating, and were said to make good hams. 

 At present, however, they are sought after only on 

 account of their skins, and the oil which they yield. 



These Seals are captured both on land and at sea, 

 and in a variety of ways. A few of the young ones 

 are slain in the caves where they are brought forth. 

 The old ones are shot when they can be reached on 



Bell's British Quadrupeds, p. 266. 



