238 FORAYS AMONG SALMON AND DEER. 



started with a nice breeze to dredge oysters and 

 anything else I might find, rifle in attendance, as 

 before. 



Oysters proved very scarce ; but I obtained some 

 good specimens of other shells, which pleased me more 

 than equally well, conchology being a failing of mine. 

 Amongst others I got several specimens of the Apor- 

 rhais pes pelicani ; several Pectens ; the pretty little 

 Pecten similis, and a very good Pecten maximus ; one 

 very fine Cyprina islandica ; several of the Buccinum 

 and Fusus ; some of the Trochus, and numbers of the 

 Echinus, some of them of an immense size. I also 

 got with some difficulty for they burrow to a great 

 depth some living specimens of the Mya truncata. 

 After spending some hours very pleasantly in this way, 

 I put the boat before the wind and ran for home. In 

 passing an island in the loch, I noticed two seals close 

 to the shore at the west end. Whereupon I immedi- 

 ately changed our course, and landed at the other end 

 of the island ; and leaving the boat in charge of three 

 of the men, I started with the fourth to try for another 

 seal. After great trouble I succeeded in reaching the 

 rock near which I expected to find them. Here I lay 

 for nearly an hour watching their movements. Now 

 and then they swam past me, within ten yards of the 

 place where I lay, puffing and sometimes almost yelling, 

 as they rolled about in the water, totally unconscious of 

 my proximity. At length, as my position was not a 

 comfortable one, I became tired of watching, and took 

 aim at one, just as his head rose above the water. The 

 ball passed through both his eyes ; but he was not shot 

 dead, and at first began to dive, though he was not able 

 to remain below long. Soon, however, he sank to rise 

 no more, and I was pleased that his sufferings were 

 terminated. I dispatched my attendant to run round 



