SEAL-SHOOTING. 73 



to bag one, had the fishing-coble again transplanted for a day 

 or two from Loch Baa to the salt water. He took post on 

 one of the islets, and in orthodox style, Hythe position, hit his 

 game fair through the head, swimming fully 100 yards off. 

 This seal, however, did not require either a dive or the grap- 

 pling-hooks, as I managed to get hold of and drag it into the 

 skiff before it settled and sank. 



The instinct of these amphibious creatures seldom allows 

 them to be surprised far from the sea. On rocky coasts, 

 where the water deepens suddenly, only a few land-shuffles 

 are required to enable them to take the plunge. Flat sandy 

 beaches, where the tide ebbs rapidly, may sometimes deceive 

 them ; but even there the look-out is too good to give any 

 chance of a shot. I have watched them in the sandbanks of 

 Sligo Bay, on the west coast of Ireland, and I have seldom 

 seen single seals, except close to the water. Now and then 

 the group allowed the sea to recede pretty far, but they never 

 all slept ; one or two sentinels were always on the alert, and 

 at the most distant approach of danger, there was a general 

 scramble to the sea. Two of my friends and I tried them 

 with deer-toils, but they always avoided the snare. Occasion- 

 ally a very young one was left high and dry ; but this also 

 happens on rocky coasts, even within a few yards of the 

 water. 



A party of seal-shooters placed one of their number on a 

 narrow point of rock surrounded by deep water. As there 

 was nothing to hide him, he stood bolt upright, expecting a 

 stray chance at a passing seal. When his companions had 

 rowed away, they were followed by a large seal, which all 

 of a sudden spied the solitary being on the rock. Instantly 

 wheeling about, it made for him at its utmost speed. His 

 friends, suspecting the monster, shouted to warn him, but he 

 thought they only meant to apprise him of a fine chance ; he 

 therefore allowed it to come quite close, and coolly shot it 

 dead. It was a female in defence of her young ; and had he 



