MAMMALS. 
preserved and cut up. This was probably previous to 1870. 
Mr. Houstoun is an experienced seal-shooter, but it is a 
pity that such a valuable and interesting addition to the 
British marine mammalia should not have been more care- 
fully preserved. Personally, we feel certain that the Harp 
seal has occurred several times in Scotland, and we have our- 
selves shot one in the Hebrides, which was, however, lost 
to us, and we have evidence of others having occurred. 
Unfortunately none have been preserved. 
Genus HALICH^RUS. 
Halichaerus gryphus, (Fabridus.) Grey Seal. 
Fairly common along the east coast, especially where there 
are any rocks jutting into the sea suitable for them to lie 
on. One such place is Lothbeg Point, where Mr. Houstoun 
of Kintradwell has shot many, the small firth seal being 
the rarer here. They blockade the mouth of the Brora, 
levying black-mail on the migrating salmonidee. 
Grey Seals also occur in some numbers on Eilean-nan- 
roan, off the Kyle of Tongue, where specimens have been 
seen over 8 feet long. They are most numerous on the outer 
island. At Souliskeir, to the north of Cape Wrath, they 
were once abundant, and parties of fishermen used to go 
from Orkney and from the north Sutherland coast to kill 
them in October. These raids have ceased within the last 
fifteen or twenty years, as we are informed by Mr. J. Craw- 
ford. Bag-net fishermen are in the habit of baiting their 
salmon nets with strychnined bodies of salmon, and thus 
are reported to destroy many seals which harry the nets of 
their fish. Surely this is a custom which ought to be dis- 
countenanced. This is done at the mouth of the river 
Naver. 
Not so common as formerly, but still breeds in the caves along 
the Caithness coast. In Mr. Eeid's younger days numbers 
