GREY SEAL. 265 



name of " Black Seal," where it is very destructive both 

 to fish and nets. 



Mr. Edmonstone's account of the Great Seals of 

 Shetland (" Zetland Isles/' v. II., p. 294), agrees with 

 Mr. Wilson's observations. They associate in pairs, 

 frequent the most exposed situations, and bring forth 

 their young in September, October, or November. In 

 our first edition, under the head of Ph. barhata, we 

 quoted some remarks by the late Mr. Selby on the Great 

 Seals of the Fame Islands ; these also are to be referred 

 to the present species, as is proved by specimens pre- 

 sented by that distinguished naturalist to the British 

 Museum. He observes that " this species calves in the 

 month of November upon several of the outer rocks, 

 where the young are suckled every tide for the space of 

 fourteen or fifteen days." A Grey Seal has been taken 

 in the Severn, and is preserved in the Bristol Institution ; 

 and in 1857 a specimen was killed in the Isle of Wight, 

 as recorded by Capt. Hadfield in the " Zoologist " for 

 that year (pp. 700, 787). The Zoological Society have 

 received living specimens from the coast of Wales. 



On the southern and western coasts of Ireland, where 

 this species is very abundant, it is more gregarious than 

 in most other places. Mr. Ball has heard of as many as 

 thirteen being seen together, and Mr. H. Evans kindly 

 sends us the following note on the habits of the species 

 in County Galway : " I have got within a short distance 

 of, say, ten or twelve Grey Seals, lying on scattered 

 though neighbouring rocks, and uttering the most dis- 

 mal bowlings in chorus. The largest I have ever killed 

 weighed six hundredweight — he was a grand old bull." 



The following extracts of a letter from our friend 

 Mr. A. G. More, give a graphic account of his success- 

 ful shot at a large individual of this species : — 



M M 



