2 STUDIES OF TASMAKIAN CETACEA, 



ing a large number of dolphins in Maingon Bay, Tasman's 

 Peninsula. There were several hundred dolphins in the bay 

 and their evolutions in the surf were watched with interest 

 by many of the Naturalists for the greater part of Easter 

 Monday. It appeared as if the animals were mating. 

 The greater majority kept out in the waters of the bay 

 beyond the line of breaking ocean combers that broke 

 rank after rank upon the coast. Every now and then, how- 

 ever, a score or more would come dashing towards the 

 shore, their outlines showing clearly in the incoming 

 breaker. Just at the moment the wave broke and it ap- 

 peared as though the dolphins would be cast against the 

 rocks or flung far up on the sandy shore, they would turn 

 suddenly, dive through the crest of the breaker, spring 



several feet in the air, and once more swim seawards. 

 Such a sight needs to be actually observed before one 

 fully realises the immensity of the swimming power pos- 

 sessed by these aquatic mammals. The enormous force 

 of the breaking waves, the various cross currents and un- 

 dertows incidental to such a surf seemed to have no 

 effect upon the evolutions of the dolphins. Although 

 accustomed as we were to observe the swimming powers 

 possessed by these animals from vessels and on other 

 occasions from time to time, yet it needed such an observa- 

 tion as the foregoing to fully realise the power of these 

 animals in their natural element. (See Plate I. and text 

 fig. 1.) 



