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 (Phoca vitulina, I suppose,) is still to be seen 
in considerable numbers, but unlike the Tapvaist it generally fre- 
quents Sound's, and Hats 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 M'Neill 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 comforter 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. 
