BRITISH MAMMALS 



feet or more, and an instance is recorded of an eight-feet 



long specimen which turned the scale at almost four 



hundred pounds. It has silvery, or yellowish-grey, fur 



on the upper parts, with light underneath, spotted with 



blackish or dusky. Great variation, however, exists, 



and no hard and fast rule can be laid down. This Seal 



is of exceptional interest because it produces its young 



in the Autumn, and in the wind-swept, sea-washed 



Isles of Shetland it frequents exposed positions from 



September to November for breeding purposes. It is 



very acute in its powers of scent and hearing, and, before 



landing, swims to and fro several times so as to make 



quite sure that the coast is clear. It does not always 



land at the same spot, as the water conditions largely 



control its movements, and when it does eventually leave 



the water, it always takes the precaution to turn around 



and face the sea, so that it can at once slip oflF the shelf 



of rock upon which it is resting. Sea birds resort to the 



same method ; that is, they perch on the rocks with their 



heads towards the water, so as to be ready to fly seawards 



if danger threatens. It seems, too, as if the Gulls have 



scouts, or sentinels, always on the alert, as at a given 



signal the whole feathered company take to flight, and 



follow their appointed leaders. Less docile than the 



Common Seal, the Great Grey species does not permit 



itself to be tamed in the same way as, for example, the 



beautiful Californian Sea-Lions which are such a source 



of attraction at the London Zoo, where one can watch 



their diving, swimming and other movements at close 

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