146 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 



comes more numerous as we proceed north. Thus, although 

 now diminished in numbers, a few are still to be found in 

 suitable localities on the coast of Caithness, where they have 

 been said to breed in the rocky caverns. According to Messrs. 

 Harvie-Brown and Buckley, they " also occur in some num- 

 bers on Eilean-nan-roan, off the Kyle of Tongue, where speci- 

 mens have been seen over eight feet long. They are most 

 numerous on the outer island. At Souliskeir, to the north of 

 Cape Wrath, they were once abundant, and parties of fisher- 

 men used to go from Orkney and the north Sutherland coast 



Skull 01 Grey Seal. 



to kill them in October." The same authors state that, al- 

 though restricted and rare in the Inner Hebrides, it still fre- 

 quents the more remote Outer Hebrides in some numbers, 

 although, for obvious reasons, they refrain from mentioning its 

 favourite haunts. They add that there are "few localities, 

 even among the Isles, where they could be observed with any 

 degree of regularity. We know of one single, very hoary, and 

 very large individual, frequenting a portion of coast, and 

 having done so unmolested for many years. What his age 

 may be, it is vain to speculate upon, but he certainly has been 

 known and recognised by natives for a very long series of 



