36 SEALS AND WHALES OF THE BRITLSH SEAS. 



Dr. Brown also states that two were seen, one in Orkney and the other in 

 Shetland, in 1857. Prof. Heddle also informed Mr. Harvie-Brown that in 

 1S49 or 1850 he saw an adult, and a young one, off the coast of the parish 

 of Walls, in Orkney (Harvie-Brown, Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. of Glasgow, 1879, 

 p. 97.)* 



The Tricliechus may be considered as intermediate between the true Seals 

 and the Eared Seals, to both of which families it has affinities : it is carnivorous, 

 feeding on mollusks, fish, and when it can get it, the flesh of whales. The 

 stomach of one, examined by Captain Feilden, contained a large amount of 

 green fluid oil, in which small particles of Ulva latissima could be detected, 

 and minute fragments of the shells of Mya. Its habits were so well and 

 succinctly described by Captain Cook a hundred years ago, that I cannot do 

 better than quote his own words, the accuracy of which has since been amply 

 confirmed. Whilst in Behring's Straits, in lat. 70° 6', and long. 196° 42', on 

 the 19th of August, 1778, Cook first met with the Walrus; "they lie," he 

 says, " in herds of many hundreds upon the ice, huddling one over the other 

 hke swine, and roar or bray very loud ; so that in the night, or in foggy 

 weather, they gave us notice of the vicinity of the ice before we could see it. 

 We never found the whole herd asleep, some being always on the watch. 

 These, on the approach of the boat, would wake those next to them, and the 

 alarm being thus gradually communicated, the whole herd would awake 

 presently. But they were seldom in a hurry to get away till after they had 



* A communication in Land and IVater for Dec. 20, 1879, p. 524, signed " R. M,," states that 

 about the 20th of June, 1S79, a Wahus was seen off the west coast of Skye. "He was seen lying 

 on a rock near the shore, on a fine calm evening, near enough to remove all doul^t as to the identity 

 of the animal. ... The huge tusks were quite easily distinguished." On being disturbed, it is said to 

 have rolled into the water, and swam a short distance to another rock, on which it was seen to climb ; 

 after a little time it again took to the water, and was seen no more. As no names are given, it is 

 impossible to investigate this report, or to judge what degree of importance should be attached to it. 



