Mr. Selby on the Great Seal of the Farn Islands. 4G5 



for two or three minutes, during which they make great pro- 

 gress, and re-appear many gunshots distant from the place 

 where they went down, and they seem to delight and sport 

 in the rapid and heavy currents which exist among the Islands. 

 They show great curiosity in gazing at anything strange, and 

 will remain stationary for minutes together, with the head and 

 neck out of the water, staring at a boatman or any other ob- 

 ject that attracts their attention. This curiosity, in parts where 

 they were not often disturbed, procured me frequent shots with 

 the rifle ; for when I observed them basking upon the rocks, 

 twenty or thirty in a herd, during the ebb of tide, I used to 

 land at some distance and make all haste to the point where 

 they were assembled ; and though I might not get within shot 

 before they took to the sea, I was sure of some of them re-ap- 

 pearing quite within distance after their first plunge into the 

 water. In this way I have killed several, but never had the 

 good luck to secure the carcass ; for even though some of them 

 floated a short time after death, which, however, is rarely the 

 case, they were certain to be swept away and buried in the 

 heavy stream which runs past the point I have mentioned, 

 and where the Seals were generally assembled, before the boat 

 could come round and reach them. I recollect on one of my 

 visits killing a large animal in a quiet bay, by a shot through 

 the neck, which, after a few struggles upon the surface, and 

 tinging the water with its blood, began to sink, and before we 

 could reach the spot with the boat, had descended just beyond 

 the reach of our oars ; and we had the chagrin of seeing it set- 

 tle quietly down to a depth of about thirty feet into a forest 

 of sea-weed below, without any tackling or apparatus in the 

 boat wherewith to raise it to the surface. 



The Great Seal seldom wanders to any great distance from 

 the Farn Islands, as it is only seen occasionally as far north 

 as Berwick Bay, and off Dunstanborough and Coquet Island 

 to the south. It also seems jealous of the presence of any 

 other species within its peculiar precincts, as the Common 

 Seal, Phoca vitulina, is scarcely ever seen within its territory, 

 though small herds frequent the coast of the main land nearly 

 opposite, upon the bar of Budle Bay, and at Holy Island. 

 This species used formerly to be very abundant at the latter 

 place, but fire-arms and other modes of destruction have 

 greatly reduced its numbers and driven it from its former 

 haunts. This species produces its young in the month of 

 August. 



I have never met with any other species of Seal upon this 

 coast, nor have I heard of any other having been observed. 

 Ann. Mag. N. Hist. Vol. vi. 2 h 



