284 The Mammals of Great Britain and Ireland
Apart from the difference of size, it is easy to distinguish this species
vitulina by the form of the head when the animals are 111 urn water. The Common
Seal's head has 1 round bullety appearance, with a short nose and muzzle. It is
a very wet-looking glistening head, and when excited by cunosity it is raisea
of the water as far as the neck. The old male Grey S <R
whole head out of the water, but swims with only the upper wk
watching an intruder suspiciously with his savage eyes.
}ace, Roman nose, and large fleshy lips are his most noticeable matures, and his hea
always appears grey or white on the surface, especially if the sun is shining. i ne
female in appearance resembles the male in the water, but sfe
more frequently; the back of the head has a somewhat conical aspect.
Anyone well acquainted with the two species can also easily recognise them
by the way in which they dive. The Common Seal usually just raises its head
and then sinks down, rolling over after it Is under the water, v
Seals both young and old, roll over on the surface like the porpos^. *b«*ving all
the back in doing so. This is a general rule, but I have = — ' - Common
Seals especially large males, roll over like Greys, and Grey -she» shot at
and very, frightened, sink at once without rolling.
d<xv- r.oi ttftaeBiftd the current so fast- as the Common ?ksd but takes longer
,. • j 11 'iju *ue fore-limbs in iR la r s i*« but underneath
, , 11 triJ_ proceed vo the same fflarnkt in/ making body wriggles
... c.a, hf&mxig tht tfe-r: to --»«des and the hind ones held
1 tnc-H-her with fingers dosed- i a?- their powers of sight are
fmarkable but their hearing and sense ?,v?3 well developed, though not quite
so well as in a stag or a wild sheep; it iv tint always hopeless to try to approach
Seal from the windward side. This, however, depends much on the proportion of
alarm to which they have been subjected. On the few occasions on which I have
seen several Grey Seals lying up on a rock I have not observed a sentinel posted,
as I have often seen in the case of the Common Seal. When lying up ashore
Grey Seals are more heavy and less suspicious than the Common species. Except
when angry when they growl like bears, the cry of the Grey Seal is a melancholy
sound like the words ‘ Ha-ii ’ or ‘ Hoo,’ not unlike a dog’s howl or the mooing
of a cow. Immatures make a loud hiss when surprised or frightened.
Speaking of the cries of an immature Grey Seal kept in confinement by