Selous: Observations on the Grey Seal. 361 
the small scale of things here) between two tidally sundered 
rocky islets. In this turmoil I soon again lost him, nor did 
I see him any more whilst I stayed. The female, however, 
continued, for a long while, to swim or float perpendicularly 
amidst the swirling waters, making of them, through her 
reposeful luxurious motions, 
‘her thrice-driven bed of down.’ 
I think there must have been an interval of at least ten 
hours between when I first saw the young Seal lying on the rocks 
and the time at which it was suckled. As my presence was 
unsuspected during the whole of the time, and there was no one 
else on the island, this must represent a natural period. Thus 
a great difference is observable between the frequency with 
which quite young calves and older ones are suckled. I put 
down the one in question as some ten days or a fortnight old, 
and since it was in all probability the larger of the two that 
had lain near the shed, it can hardly I think have been older— 
the first figure perhaps is more likely. 
I noticed (as I had done yesterday, but now more plainly), 
whilst the mother Seal lay with her back to me, that she had, 
a little to one side of the median line, and about half way down, 
a long deep-looking wound.* It was also wide—indeed a very 
ugly trench indeed—at the least a foot long, but I should say 
nearer eighteen inches. It could hardly, I believe, have been 
worse had it been made by the claw of a Tiger. Another 24 
hours on the island gave me nothing further to record. 
As the above notes represent original observation on the 
habits of a quite well-known species, I have not added to their 
length by saying anything about its classification, Latin name, 
size, weight, ‘ pelage,’ etc., all which are to be found in the 
ordinary standard compilations. I may remark, however, that 
the young Seals are white or nearly so (that at least was my 
experience) and that the splendid mottled, or rather, blotched, 
belly of the grown ones, as well as the beautiful appearance 
which it presents under water, never seems to have attracted 
the attention, much less roused the interest of anybody, at 
least of any naturalist. Those who care about the actual 
doings of animals will find a record of some more of those of 
this Seal (as well as the Common one) in my ‘The Bird 
Watcher in the Shetlands,’ though unhappily, and to the scorn 
of critics, I have there referred to the first under an obsolete 
Latin name. As information thus clouded may not be worth 
attention, [ will point out here, where the misfortune has been 
* T think I must have entered it in my notes, but seem to have for- 
gotten to copy it out, that this Seal had a good deal of blood about her 
head. In some way or other she had evidently been hurt, and this may 
have had to do with her apparent neglect to suckle her calf. 
1915 Nov. 1. 
