HOODED SEAL. 259 



above, darker posteriorly, and yellowisli-whitc beneath. 

 A second, also young, was found on a rock opposite St. 

 Andrews, on the 22nd July, 1872 ; it made no attempts 

 to escape, and was killed with stones. This example, 

 which measured forty-seven inches in length, is described 

 in detail by Mr. R. Walker in the " Scottish Naturalist," 

 vol. ii., p. 1. Messrs. Baikie and Heddle, in their " His- 

 toria Naturalis Orcadensis " (1848), state that specimens 

 are said to have been killed at Rousa and at Papa Westra. 

 Mr. Ball, in his paper on Irish Seals in vol. viii. of the 

 " Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," quotes a 

 letter from Mr. R. W. Mcllwray, of Co. Mayo, describing 

 an extraordinary Seal seen by him near Westport, which 

 had the forehead enlarged " with immense bladder-like 

 protuberances over the eyes," — it also seemed to have 

 external ears. Lastly, we may observe that, as far back 

 as 1577, mention is made in Hollingshed's "Cronicle" of 

 " sundry fishes of monstrous shape, with cowls over their 

 heads like unto Monks, and in the rest resembling the 

 body of Man," whose appearance in the Firth of Forth 

 was followed by pestilence and murrain. Both of these 

 last notices seem probably to refer to this strange- 

 looking Seal, and it may be observed that its occasional 

 occurrence on the northern coasts of Norway has excited 

 the superstitious fears of the natives, who describe it, 

 according to Bishop Gunnerus, as a sort of Merman, 

 named Klakkekalen — a hairy man with a cap on his head, 

 seen standing upright among the waves. 



In its native seas this species is described as being the 

 boldest and most fearless of the Seal tribe. " The male 

 Bladder-nose," writes Dr. R. Brown, in the paper to 

 which we have so often referred, " is in truth tlic lion 

 of the sea, dividing tlie empire of the polar waters with 

 his huge ally the Walrus. Instead of Hying from the 



