occasionally offered by the advent of a young or female Seal who was late in coming
ashore and whose pet lying spot was far up on the rocks and away at the back.
Pouring with water the newcomer made its way up the worn passage in the
rocks, and in doing so flopped its dripping body over the dry and sleeping
occupants, who woke up and protested more by looks than actions; This hurt
expression of injured innocence, so emblematic of their amiable character, is. most
characteristic of the Common Seal, being in striking contrast to that of surly
exasperation shown by the cantankerous Grey Seal, who under similar circumstances
would probably bite first and growl afterwards. Common Seals generally
lie very close to one another, sometimes resting their heads on each other’s backs,
and although not infested by any parasite they like a good scratch as soon as
they come ashore, probably for the same reason that most men scratch themselves
all over before going to bed. The fore-flippers are not capable of doing
very much in this way, but they can reach most parts of the head, neck, and flanks,
and still further if the Seal sits up like a dog as it sometimes does. The hind-
flippers are not of much use ashore, except for climbing from place||| place, and
are held together with digits closed. It is interesting to see how, as soon as it
comes out of the water, the Seal combs these hind-fingers inside one another
and so rinses the water out of them.
Visitors to the Zoological Gardens will remember a few years ago the fine
sea lion that would perform many tricks and finish up by kissing his keeper.
It may seem but an appeal to the sentimental, but in their wild state Seals do
actually kiss one another on the lips. I have never myself seen them do more
than lightly brush their faces past one another when romping in the water, as
puppies do when at play, and when coming ashore a male Seal will often when
passing a friend or a female of his acquaintance stop and smell the other’s nose
by way of greeting. Two observers, however, on whose accuracy I can depend, seem
to think the circumstance not rare, and one of them, Colonel Gostwyck Gostwyck,
has kindly sent me the following interesting note.
‘When Seal-stalking in the Sound of Harris, the late Sir John Campbell
Orde asked me if I had ever seen Seals kissing. I confessed that I had not;
so he at once gave me a graphic account of the circumstances under which he
had seen the act on several occasions. Nevertheless I must admit that I was
not a little sceptical at the time.
‘ However, one day at Eynhallow my wife and I were spying some Seals
from the old wall at the south end of the island when we actually witnessed this