1907* Baring. — Mammals of Lamb ay. 21 



Ocular evidence of their breeding at Lambay was lacking until 

 the 16th of October, 1906, when four young seals were found, 

 three within a gravelly cave, and one on the rocks outside. All 

 four were cream-coloured, the smallest about 2 feet 6 inches, 

 the biggest about 3 feet 6 inches long. They allowed themselves 

 (under protest) to be handled ; one (the oldest) after some time 

 slowly made his way from the cave to the sea, in which he was 

 able to swim clumsily ; the othe r s were either unable or disin- 

 clined to leave the shore ; the youngest, which may have been 

 three or four weeks old, and could not climb over the rocks, 

 ciied lustily for his mother. During the three hours or more 

 that were spent in examining these young seals and taking 

 photographs (Plate 8, fig. 1, 2, 3) of the smallest — which in a 

 better light might have been more successful — four old seals were 

 constantly patrolling and keeping watch from the sea close by. 

 This young seal, as will be clearly seen from the illustration, 

 still wore its baby dress of long, thick hair, which falls off at 

 the end of a few months, at the time w r hen the young animals 

 take to the water. A month later several single young seals 

 still cream colouied but with faint spots on the back, were seen on 

 another part of the coast. One of these (Plate 8, fig. 4, 5) after 

 having been teased for some time for his photograph clambered 

 over the rough locks for fifty feet and swam into deep water. 

 His mother was waiting for him, and their meeting was affecticg 

 to witness ; after an interchange of caresses they started in 

 procession for another bay, the mother steering her offspring 

 by pushing him with her nose from behind. When quite young 

 these seals are, as has been said, of a golden cream colour, which 

 colour becomes less golden, and the coat less silky-looking, with 

 faint mottlings, at the age of about two months. At about four 

 months the young still give the impression of being roughly 

 about half the size of old seals ; the colour is distinctly differ- 

 entiated into a light slate-grey above, and a light yellow below. 

 At this age they can swim rapidly and well, and will not stay in 

 the caves to be looked at. In the photograph of one taken on the 

 12th of November, 1906 (Plate 8, fig. 4, 5) there is to be seen 

 above the eye a well-marked rosette formed by five black spots 

 arranged in a ring, with hair issuing from each spot. This 

 eyebrow-rosette, with its long hairs, and another black spot near 

 the ear can be seen clearly on the heads of those old seals, 



