lo^ THE HOME OF A NATURALIST. 



frequent the small uninhabited islands, holms, and 

 skerries, where the tideways are strong, but the ocean 

 swell not great; and they do not seem to stray far 

 from such favourite haunts, resting for several hours 

 each day from the commencement of the ebb-tide on 

 small outlying rocks, or stony beaches on the lea-side 

 of the little islets, but almost always in such a position 

 as to command a pretty extensive view, in case of sur- 

 prise. Their food consists chiefly of piltacks and sil- 

 lacks — vernacular for the young of the saithe or 

 coal-fish — small cod, flounders, and Crustacea. In June 

 they bring forth their young — never more than one at a 

 birth, and in the same season — on the low flat rocks 

 close to the sea, and immediately lead them to the 

 water, where they seem at once perfectly at home, 

 disporting themselves amongst the waves with ease 

 and grace equal to their seniors. For some time 

 previous to this, the sexes separate into different herds, 

 and during the two succeeding months in which they 

 suckle their young, the females affect a somewhat soli- 

 tary life. After that they again become indiscriminately 

 gregarious. The adult common seal sometimes attains 

 the size of six feet, measured from the point of the 

 nose to the end of the tail. It is obviously a mistake 

 to measure to the end of the hind flippers, as is some- 

 times done. The males are considerably larger than the 

 females, but I have never seen one exceeding six feet. 

 On the other hand, the haff-fish grows sometimes to 

 eight or nine feet, and such venerable ocean patriarchs 

 will weigh from six to seven hundredweight. This 



