354 Animal Life 
exciting sport; and when the harmless camera takes the place of the destroying rifle in 
the stalker’s hand, a lasting record can be obtained of the attitudes and surroundings 
of these weird-looking creatures. Seals are in the habit of coming ashore on to the 
seaweed-covered rocks to rest at low tide. Unless disturbed, or the stock of fish in 
that particular bay becomes exhausted, they will frequent the same low-lying rocks 
every day for weeks and months. The seals choose isolated banks of rocks away from 
the mainland. The lee-side of islands is nearly always selected, not entirely because ol 
the difficulty of landing on the windward side, but because the seals have to rely very 
greatly upon their sense of smell, which is as acute as that of a red deer, to protect 
themselves from approaching danger. 
It is, of course, perfect madness to attempt to approach seals down wind, and it 
is frequently impossible to approach them right up wind, as the sea bars one’s way. 
They must, in nearly every case, be approached on the side wind. It is most amusing 
work searching with a powerful glass for seals along the sea coast, especially when it 
THE SEALING GROUND, 
is low tide and the animals are all out of the water and lying at full length, lke a lot 
of beer casks, on the seaweed-covered rocks; the seals look so like pieces of grey 
rock showing here and there amongst the seaweed. . 
But when the tide is just upon the ebb the seals may be plainly seen swimming 
about in the water and watching for their favourite rocks and resting-places to be 
uncovered by the tide. 
But it is not of much use attempting to stalk them from the shore except when 
the tide is pretty well out and there is plenty of uncovered seaweed to crawl over. 
When a seal has, with difficulty, climbed upon a rock from out of the sea, he almost 
invariably turms completely round at once in order that he may, should occasion arise, 
be able to plunge into the sea head first. The lighter the breeze the more seals come 
ashore; but when a gale is blowing the few seals that one will see upon the rocks 
are extremely wary and difficult of approach. 
