THE COMMON SEAL. 59 



water, it is a common practice to halloo to the ani- 

 mal, till they can approach within gun-shot, since 

 it will continue to listen to the sound, apparently 

 wrapt in attention to it, for many seconds. 



Seals feed chiefly on fish, and we are informed by 

 Martin, that they never attempt to swallow these 

 till they have first stripped off all the scales. He 

 declares that he has often seen them hold the heads 

 of the fish betwixt their teeth, whilst at the same 

 time they tore away the scales with their fore- 

 feet*. 



That the Common Seals are very docile animals, 

 and capable, even when taken old, of being in some 

 measure domesticated, many proofs have, at dif- 

 ferent times, been afforded. I shall recite two 

 instances, which were communicated to me by my 

 accurate and highly intelligent friend, Dr. Hamilton, 

 of Ipswich. 



A few winters ago, a Seal, caught on the Welsh 

 coast, and sent by water to London, was brought to 

 St. Bartholomew's hospital. During the voyage, it 

 had been fed principally upon milk; and when it 

 arrived, it had become so familiar that it would 

 suffer the man who brought it to play with it like a 

 dog, and would lick his hands or face with the ut- 

 most complacency. So great, indeed, was the at- 

 tachment of this animal, that, after the departure 



* Martin's Western Islands, p. 62. 



of 



