542 On the Habits of the Phoca>. 



The average weight of an individual of this species, judging rela- 

 tively from its dimensions when compared with those of the common 

 kind, is somewhere about thirty stone, or 420 pounds. They not 

 unfrequently yield upwards of forty bottles of oil. They have be- 

 come of late years very rare along the western shores. 



The common seal (Pkoca vitulina, I suppose,) is still to be seen 

 in considerable numbers, but unlike the Tapvaist it generally fre- 

 quents Sounds, and flats where fish abound, and where the water is 

 not excessively deep. It is particularly fond of flounders ; at least 

 off the coast of Colonsay these fish appear to form its favourite food. 

 This perhaps arises from their being ground fish, and therefore easily 

 caught. Mr McNeill informs me that he has frequently observed a 

 seal rise to the surface with a flounder in its mouth, and dive again 

 on finding itself unable to swallow its prey, in consequence of its pe- 

 culiar breadth. When engaged in this attempt, so intent do they 

 become, as entirely to forget their habitual wariness, and they may 

 then be approached and shot with unusual ease. The kind now al- 

 luded to produces its young about the beginning of June, and in a 

 very short time after the offspring is whelped it is taken to sea by 

 the mother. 



The fishing for the common seal commences in autumn, and is 

 practised by means of nets stretched across narrow sounds between 

 rocks where the seals are in use to swim. In these they entangle 

 themselves, and are taken out either by boat, or in some cases where 

 the net is left dry by the receding tide, by persons approaching them 

 on foot. It is, however, the young ones only that are taken in this way, 

 and even these only during a month or two in autumn. 



Seals are fond of going frequently on shore, — for the most part 

 during every tide. They are observed always to select the flattest 

 and most shelving rocks, especially such as have been covered by 

 water at full tide, and still more especially (I may say invariably)* 

 those that are separated from the main land. They generally go 

 ashore about the time of half ebb, and lie together so close as to ap- 

 pear to be almost in contact, to the number sometimes of one, two, 

 or three dozen. With their heads constantly turned towards the 

 sea, and seldom more than a yard or two from it, they seem to en- 

 joy a pleasing repose on terra firma, — their appetites appeased by 

 previous fishing, and a feeling of comfort or of satisfaction produced 

 upon their moistened surface by the genial rays of an invigorating 

 sun. But even in this their hour of rest their customary caution 

 never leaves them, for one of their number is placed a little higher 



* We have often approached seals on the rocks of the " main coast," between 

 Aberlady and North Berwick on the Firth of Forth. One or two ledges of 

 rock there, (ten or twelve years since,) were favourite resorts at low water. — Ed. 



