492 The Zoologist — November, 1866. 



quorum pars parvafui : I have taken a few liberties with the quota- 

 tion besides reducing it into very humble prose. I too have seen seals 

 basking on the sand, frolicking with their little ones, and plunging into 

 the water at my approach, and I have noticed a peculiarity in their 

 actions which seems to have escaped Mr. Crichton, or he would 

 certainly have described it with his graphic pen. The seal glides into 

 the water sideways, and when completely immersed turns on its back, 

 and in that position makes its first dive, swimming with its belly 

 upwards. I have often been gratified in observing that the seals in 

 the Zoological Gardens have retained tliis peculiar mode of sub- 

 aqueous progression, even in the limited space allotted them, tiius 

 obeying a natural instinct under circumstances of great difficulty. 



Nexting-place of Sea Birds at Scrabsler. — " The same evening I 

 took a stroll along the heights to the westward. The air was calm 

 and still, and the sea smooth : and as I threaded the edge of the cliffs 

 that stretch away beyond the little village of Scrabster, where his 

 late Majesty once possessed a royal castle, a mingled concert of birds' 

 voices suddenly pervaded the otherwise silent air, and as I neared the 

 spot a countless throng of sea-fowl were nestling and huddling together 

 upon the turf-mantled summit of a shapeless mass of stone, which was 

 completely isolated from the mainland by a deep and sickening 

 abyss. 1 could have shot hundreds, but it would have been impossible 

 to obtain one. This was the only spot on this point of the coast on 

 which I found birds congregated to this extent. They had evidently 

 chosen it as affording them the best protection, on account of its 

 insulated position. They seemed perfectly aware of their security and 

 remained serenely undisturbed at my approach." — p. 30. 



Cormorants. — " Here and there I see a solitary specimen of the 

 lesser blackbacked gull flying tar out of shot along the shore, wliile o'er 

 the bosom of the emerald ocean flap dark detachments of cormorants 

 or shags, looking for all the world like long-necked demons speeding 

 on an errand of death or torment to some imprisoned soul. Steadily 

 onward, let the wind be high or low, like the arrows of remorseless 

 fate, they cleave tlie unresisting air, until perceiving some wandering 

 shoal of coal-fish or blenny, they halt upon the swelling sea, and, 

 after diving and fishing until their voracious appetite is temporarily 

 appeased, or their craw well provided with fish, resume their 

 unhallowed progress to some favourite rock to digest at leisure their 

 unsavory feast." — p. 35. 



