File:The seals and whales of the British seas (1881) (14743548476).jpg

Identifier: cu31924024782744 (find matches)
Title: The seals and whales of the British seas
Year: 1881 (1880s)
Authors: Southwell, Thomas, 1831-1909
Subjects: Whales Seals (Animals) Cetacea
Publisher: London, Jarrold and Sons
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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has ever occurred on the British coast ; but so imperfect evennow is our acquaintance with the Seals which frequent our shores, that it mayeven yet be found. As before mentioned, the bristles forming the whiskers of Ph. barbata, are simple flattened hairs, without the impressed pattern foundin the bristles of the known British species ; they are nearly the samethickness throughout, and sharply curved near the end. The Grey Seal has been found on various parts of the coast, from Shetlandto the Isle of Wight ; the Orkney and Shetland Isles, the Hebrides, andthe west coast of Ireland, however, appear to be its chief places of resorton our shores; it has also been known to breed on the Fern Islands.Haskier Island, off North Uist, has long been known as a favourite breeding-place of this species. Captain Elwes, who visited this island on the 30thJune, 1868 (Ibis, 1869, p. 25), informed Mr. Harvie-Brown that, up to theyear 1858, an annual battue was held there in the month of November, when
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SEALS AND WHALES OF THE BRITISH SEAS. 31 the Seals resort to the rocks with their young ones, and that from forty toone hundred, old and young, would be killed. This wholesale destructionhas been put a stop to, and as it is extremely shy and difficult to approachat other seasons, it is to be hoped that this species may for some time escapeextermination in this favourite resort. According to Bell, this species inhabits the temperate northern seasrather than the Polar waters, and is found in the North Sea, Baltic, Iceland,Scandinavia, Denmark, and North Germany. Dr. Brown met with aspecimen a little south of Discoe Island, but can only speak of its claimsto a place in the Greenland Fauna as strongly probable. Bell gives someinteresting information with regard to the habits of this species as observedin various British stations, and calls attention to the remarkable fact, thatwhereas in this country it produces its joung in the months of October andNovember, on the Continent this is alwa

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