MAMMALS. 67 



or two of the Walruses seen in Orkney, more especially in the 

 case of the one just mentioned as being so familiar. 



Family PHOCID-ffi. 

 Phoca vitulina, L. Common Seal, 



Oic.=Sel/cie. 



Low speaks to the abundance of seals in the Pightland (Pentland) 

 Firth, and in his Fauna Orcadensis, p. 18, says: "Seals seem 

 to be subject to a plague or murrain. About four years ago 

 they drove ashore around our coasts in scores." 



This "murrain" seems to have occurred twice since then, 

 once in 1836, and again in 1869 or 1870, since which time 

 certain bays have been quite deserted by seals. 



In the old Statistical Account, 1797, vol. xix. p. 398, there is 

 a description given of a seal-fishery formerly held at the " Barrel 

 of Butter," * and the seals there caught would most probably be 

 of this species; at the present time seals are rarely seen in 

 that neighbourhood. 



Amongst the Orkney exports for 1801 appear 12 seal-skins; 

 in 1802 there were 373, and in 1803, 14 only. It is just 

 possible that these may have been the last of the fishery on the 

 Barrel of Butter. 



Mr. Moodie-Heddle sends us the following very interesting 

 notes : 



"Seals are still common in the South Isles, though their 

 haunts have somewhat changed since 'Baikie and Heddle* 

 was published. Ten years ago they were nearly extinct here 

 (in the island of Hoy), being reduced to three or four. I pre- 

 served them near Melsetter, and they got so tame that I could 

 come within a few yards of them, and even handle the young 

 ones. Since then they were getting too numerous, and killing 

 so many sea-trout that we have had to slaughter a good many." 



" The Common Seal calls out very much before any markedly 

 bad weather." 



"In places where they lie much ashore, and are constantly 

 crawling over rough rocks, the nipples of the females seem to get 

 painful, and they repulse the young when they attempt to 



1 Barrel of Butter a small skerry lying in the middle of Scapa Flow. 



