30 SEALS OF THE SHETLAND ISLANDS. 



processes of rearing and education. The trials I have made 

 on these points have been equally numerous on the Great 

 as on the Common Seal. By far the most interesting one I 

 ever had was a young male of the barbata species : he was 

 taken by myself from a cave when only a few hours old, 

 and in a day or two became as attached as a dog to me. 

 The varied movements and sounds by which he expressed 

 delight at my presence and regret at my absence were most 

 affecting ; these sounds were as like as possible to the in- 

 articulate tones of the human voice. I know no animal 

 capable of displaying more affection than he did, and his 

 temper was the gentlest imaginable. I kept him for four 

 or five weeks, feeding him entirely on milk warm from the 

 cow ; in my temporary absence butter-milk was given to 

 him, and he died soon after. Another was a female, also 

 of the Great Seal species, which we captured in a cave when 

 about six weeks old, in October 1830. This individual 

 would never allow herself to be handled but by the person 

 who chiefly had the charge of her, yet even she soon became 

 comparatively familiar. It was amusing to see how readily 

 she ascended the stairs, which she often did, intent, as it 

 seemed, on examining every room in the house ; on shewing 

 towards her signs of displeasure and correction, she de- 

 scended more rapidly and safely than her awkwardness 

 seemed to promise. She was fed from the first on fresh 

 fish alone, and grew and fattened considerably. We had 

 her carried down daily in a hand-barrow to the sea-side, 

 where an old excavation admitting the salt water was 

 abundantly roomy and deep for her recreation and our ob- 

 servation. After sporting and diving for some time she 

 would come ashore, and seemed perfectly to understand the 

 use of the barrow. Often she tried to waddle from the 

 house to the water, or from the latter to her apartment, but 

 finding this fatiguing, and seeing preparations by her chair- 



