330 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



They do not rise for eight to ten days. A Seal 

 is easily tamed, and, like an Otter, will follow its 

 master when water is convenient. Lord Ventry 

 has a tame Seal at Dingle that swims beside his 

 boat when sailing about the harbour in summer. 



On the west coast of Ireland five to a dozen 

 Seals may be seen together the smooth banks of 

 a small island or the shelving shingle at the head of 

 a cave being favourite positions for them to rest on. 



The cry of a Seal is sometimes startling in its 

 resemblance to the human voice in distress ; often 

 have I heard them in the stillness of the night as 

 they lay on the sand-bar behind which my vessel 

 was anchored, and in fancy likened their mournful 

 wails to ocean spirits wearily complaining of wreck 

 and storm. 



The largest Grey Seal ever recorded in Ireland, 

 and larger than any in the Museums, is Mr. Nelli- 

 gan's specimen, of which he has the skin ; it mea- 

 sures, as I satisfied myself, from nose to end of 

 flippers, nine feet four inches ! 



It is curious that most animals dread the smell 

 of a Seal. I have known horses and cattle become 

 instantly terror-stricken and unmanageable on the 

 body of a Seal being brought to a house near 

 them ; and although Seal oil is excellent for leather 

 and harness (keeping it soft and pliant), a gentleman 

 I know had some applied to the traces of his shoot- 

 ing cart, in consequence of which nothing would 

 induce first one and then another pony to be led 

 between the shafts. The quietest horses will often 

 become maddened with fear should a man who has 

 been skinning a Seal approach them. 



