MAMMALS. 69 



they rarely venture to land on any of the larger islands now, 

 keeping almost exclusively for that purpose to the before- 

 mentioned skerries; three that we procured, all females, had 

 small-shot buried in their blubber. 



As autumn approaches, and possibly on account of the 

 young ones getting stronger, and more able to follow the 

 mother, the seals congregate less together, and are to be seen 

 more about the island shores. 



When in Orkney in 1888, Buckley saw the seals referred to 

 by Mr, Moodie-Heddle, and they were wonderfully tame. He 

 was told that it was only the habitues that were so tame, 

 strange seals that often came to join this herd being very uneasy 

 at the approach of any one. One day fifteen were counted at 

 the stones, at another time twenty-three, the former number 

 being the usual complement. 



"We saw many seals the same year at the "Grand" of 

 Egilsay, a long narrow reef of rocks running out a long way 

 to the east of the island ; we found them also numerous at 

 Linga Holm, near Stronsay. 



Phoca hispida, Schreb. Ringed or Marble Seal. 



[Obs. We have no information about the occurrence of this seal 

 in Orkney further than the bald statement by Messrs. Baikie 

 and Heddle that one or two specimens have been obtained.] 



Phoca groenlandica, Fab. Greenland or Harp Seal. 



We have not heard of any more specimens of this species having 

 been obtained here since Messrs. Baikie and Heddle wrote. As, 

 however, it has occurred on different occasions on the Mainland 

 of Scotland, both east and west, it is quite likely to have paid 

 these islands a visit, and even been shot, without much atten- 

 tion being paid to the fact. 



In a note just received from Mr. Moodie-Heddle, referring 

 to some Great Grey Seals that were found dead, he says there 

 was one he heard of that was marked exactly like a Greenland 

 or Harp Seal, and was of large size : it had no head when 

 found. This was in the winter of 1889-90. 



