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SEALS AND SEAL-HUNTING. 



CHAPTER I. 



There are but two species of seal permanently resi- 

 dent on our coasts — the Common Seal (Phoca vitulirM) 

 and the Great Seal (Halichoerus gryphus). The Green- 

 land seal has occasionally been seen in Shetland, and 

 even shot ; but these were only stragglers, not impro- 

 bably floated far southward on small icebergs or floes 

 of ice from the Arctic regions. The two species named, 

 the common and the great seal, are very much alike in 

 appearance, and not easily distinguished by a casual 

 observer ; but a Shetlander who has frequent, if not 

 constant, opportunities of seeing them, is never at a 

 loss to recognise them. In many respects, especially 

 in their habits, they are distinguished by well-marked 

 characteristics. The common seal is called in Shet- 

 land Tang-fish — that is, shore or bay seal ; and the 

 great seal is vernacularly the Haff-fish, or ocean seal. 

 The male and female of both species are distinguished 

 by the prefix "Bull" and "She" — Bull-fish, She-fish. 



The common seal is gregarious, and appears to be 

 polygamous. In herds of from ten to a hundred they 



