The True Seals 283
reason that they become tired of battling with the elements as that fish in heavy
weather move either into deep water or more sheltered firths and sounds and so
the big Seal has to follow them or starve. The females are always the first to seek
such retreats, and it is not uncommon to find one associating the whole winter with
a herd of Common Seals. On the other hand, however, the Grey Seal never
permits the Common Seal to come near his regular breeding haunts.
From its heavy and somewhat clumsy build and consequent inactivity in
making quick turns the Grey Seal is obliged to live on fish that swim slowly
and are easily caught. Its favourite prey is the halibut, but it also catches
quantities of rock-cod, which it secures by driving them into the holes and blind
alleys of the sunken rocks; it will also eat conger, lump-fish, toad-fish, ling, and
scaithe.1
For the purpose of catching fish Grey Seals descend to a considerable depth,
for ling and halibut are generally found at a depth of from 60 to 100 fathoms.
Round Haskeir, where I have seen them fishing, the depth is very great, in fact
the boatmen say that it has never been fathomed. The Seals here probably feed
on rock-cod, which swim at various depths. Nearly all Seals play with their prey
after having caught and disabled it, and the Grey Seal, like others, holds it firmly
in the fore-paws and tears off strips of the skin with the teeth. It then bites off
chunks and swallows the food, smacking its lips with apparent relish. Fish are
generally devoured under water, but occasionally a Seal may be seen wrestling
on the surface with some large victim which it has difficulty in conquering. Dr.
Edmondston says that in confinement the Grey Seal will eat flesh, but it is doubtful
if either this species or the Common Seal ever takes sea-birds off the surface of
the water, as the Greenland Seal is known to do. Neither of our native Seals
feeds on land, but will do so in confinement.
A remarkable instance of the boldness of a Grey Seal was related to me by
Mrs. Boscawen. She was fishing one day off Rosvean, Scilly, when on hauling in
a good-sized pollack, a full-grown Grey Seal that had been cruising close by
deliberately came and took the fish off the line within a yard or two of the boat;
a few minutes later another fish was hooked on the spinner, when the Seal again
came and tore it away. On both occasions the Seal was plainly seen in the act of
taking the fish.
1 Doubtless this Seal at times takes both salmon and sea-trout Mr. Haldane, who lives on the east coast of North
Mayen, near Ollaberry, Shetland, told me in 1901 that whenever the sea-trout were running up a small river near his house
a very big ' Haaf-fish* would appear and destroy all chance of sport. The Seal fished for hours close to the mouth of the
bum, so he was doubtless after the trout, and Mr. Haldane was at last obliged to shoot to drive him away.