18 THE ORNITHOLOGIST'S GUIDE 



large animal with whom she had held so much 

 secret converse soon appeared, and evidently 

 congratulated her in the most affectionate manner 

 on her escape: but before she dived she cast a 

 parting glance at the wretched Shetlander, whose 

 despairing look excited in her bosom a few tran- 

 sient feelings of commiseration. "Farewell V- she 

 said, " and may every happiness attend you ! Du- 

 ring my stay on earth I loved you tenderly, but 

 I could not forget in my happiest moments the 

 husband I had left a tenant of the deep. I loved 

 you much, I loved him more." She bade the poor 

 fellow a lasting farewell, and then plunged into 

 the depths of the ocean. 



Another superstitious tale, relative to seals, 

 which I have frequently heard, but have not 

 seen it recorded, I shall also relate as it was told 

 to me by the boatmen with whom I visited the 

 place. A boat's crew landed at ebb tide upon 

 some rocks, or skerries as they are called by the 

 natives, on which were a number of seals, for the 

 purpose of killing them. They had stunned a 

 great many with their weapons, and in this 

 state stripped them of their skins, with the 

 blubber attached to them, leaving the carcasses as 

 a treat to the sea-birds, many of which were 

 hovering over their heads impatient to commence 



