68 HAPPY HUNTING-GROUNDS 



I also found opportunity of observing the great 

 grey seal (Halechoerus gryphus). His long pointer- 

 like face, and short fleshy lips contrast forcibly with 

 the round bullet-head of the common seal ; he makes 

 his haunts on the most distant and inaccessible reefs, 

 and the female is more cunning in concealing its young 

 at the time of birth than other seals. The babies are 

 born about the last week in September, and are pure 

 white, with very fine and silky fur. I heard from my 

 boatmen that on one occasion they found a young 

 gryphus jet black, but all the specimens I have ever 

 seen were white ; such instances of melanism must be 

 very uncommon. I believe the parents to be mono- 

 gamous : father and mother certainly share the care of 

 their offspring, and, conquering their natural fear of 

 man, cruise round almost within an oar's length of 

 intruders who approach their breeding-places. 



My second son, Alfred, has made a special study 

 of the habits of both species of these interesting 

 mammals, and I insert his notes as they stand. They 

 are so clearly expressed and suggestive that I prefer 

 to let them speak for themselves ; my own observations 

 confirm them in every particular. With regard to 

 the incident which he reports on the authority of a 

 West Highland gamekeeper, of a seal taking a wounded 

 teal, I believe that the fact that the common seal 

 occasionally varies its fish diet by making a meal of 

 ducks is clearly established. Their fresh-water cousin, 

 the otter, often feeds on birds and rabbits as a change 

 from its usual Lenten fare, and I see no reason why 

 a seal should not when hungry take anything he can 

 get, although he would generally find fish and crusta- 

 ceans not only more palatable, but more easy to obtain 

 than any other kind of food. 



