SEALS AND SEAL-HUNTING. 105 



species is much less mimerous than the tang- fish. 

 They appear to be monogamous, and are not gregarious, 

 being commonly met with in pairs. They frequent 

 the wildest and most exposed of the outlying rocks 

 and skerries along the coast where there is free and 

 immediate access to the ocean, and are very seldom 

 seen in the bays or amongst the islands, which are the 

 haunts of their less robust congeners. They seem to 

 luxuriate in the roughest sea, and delight to sport in 

 the broken water and foam at the foot of steep rocks 

 and precipices when the waves are dashing against 

 them. They bring forth their young in caves, open to 

 the sea — called in Shetland hellyers. These hellyers 

 are natural tunnels in the lofty precipices, running or 

 winding inwards, sometimes two hundred yards, into 

 darkness, and generally terminating in a stony or 

 pebbly beach. Some of these hellyers can be entered 

 by a small boat, but only when the sea is perfectly 

 smooth; others are too narrow for such a mode of 

 access ; and the openings to others are entirely under 

 water. 



It is in these wild and for the most part safe retreats 

 that the female haff-fish, about the end of September 

 or beginning of October, brings forth her young ; and 

 here she nurses it for about six weeks, all the time 

 carefully and affectionately attended by her lord and 

 master. Not till the baby haff-fish is nearly two 

 months old does it take to the water. If thrown in 

 at an earlier age, it is as awkward as a pup or kitten 

 in similar circumstances, and does not seem to have 



