3 H The Mammals of Great Britain and Ireland
said it would have been born in a very few hours. He gave the skin of this
little Seal to me, which I had dressed and made into a vest which I send
to you.’ This skin I have examined. It is spotted and marked exactly like that
of an adult. -
It does seem strange, however, that a doubt should exist <
point in the natural history of one of our commonest animals, as
since naturalists are perfectly well acquainted with the early stag
Seals. I am quite convinced, however, that the young Common
ing the second pelage.^
Unlike those of die Grey Seal, the young of the Commt
so important a
all the more so
of all the other
1 is born wear-
water-babies from the very first. I have seen young ones or
accompany their mothers in quite a heavy surf and not seem
parents are for the most part careful to place their offspring in
cranny on the lee side of an island or in a firth protected from
The mother Seal suckles her young for about two months, ^
Seals grow with great rapidity, the males being generally abou
length by September, and though they afterwards progress in si®
they are not adult until the fourth year. Their growth seems
than is the case with the Grey Seal, but like that animal ::
Old males often
as a gralloched <>i
may be seen swimming about singly m M
no doubt that all the Seals are po
tion. The female is just as promiscuous
will wander off with any male who happen
husband.
In most places where the animals a
favourable, the Common Seals spend muds
day, when the sun shines and the tide b-
they repair to their favourite rock or
resting and sleeping. The sandbanks the
1 I make no exception, even in the case of HaJuharus g
Seal are regular
y a few days old
unhappy, but the
n some sheltered
n the cruel west.
Young Common
tree' feet in
if iy quickly,
more rapid
attain much
grizzled appear-
iv: tf-ftecn stones)..
; collect together
reales and immatures
itures still keep apart
i young separate, and
little ones. There is
rnon Seal is no excep-
her love affairs, and
ay from her temporary
common, and the winds and tide
cM. their time ashore. Almost every
vif ebbed or just commenced to flow,
bank and spend an hour or two in
choose are generally well out in an
fu s, which many naturalists say is monogamous.