32 Excursion to PliilUp Island. [v^'r''xxx. 



selves. These, we were informed, were not allowed in the 

 sealery, they having failed to mate. We also noticed about 

 i8 or 20 " bulls " by themselves, but could get no explanation 

 about this action. Members may remember that a little time 

 ago a letter was referred to our Club for consideration by the 

 Fisheries Department. Some fishermen complained about the 

 thousands of seals on the rocks, which were eating the fish, 

 &c. At the time I very much doubted this, and corresponded 

 with two well-known residents (both fishermen). One said 

 there may be hundreds of seals, but not thousands ; and the 

 other (our motor-man, Mr. Kennon) said " Nonsense ! That 

 as for their eating the fish, &c., I go piking around the rocks." 

 Later on the authorities had a visit of inspection, when one 

 or two seals were killed, and on being opened were found to 

 have been feeding on squid, no remains of fish being found in 

 their stomachs. It was thought wise, however, to kill one 

 hundred " bulls," and permission was given to that effect. 

 That permission has not yet been taken advantage of by those 

 who complained. Why ? Sealskins at the time of making 

 the complaint were 34s. each ; now they are worth about 14s. 

 each. Added to this, while we were at the Nobbies the following 

 day we noticed two fishing boats piking round and about the 

 Seal Rocks. Cowes was reached after a very enjoyable tri]) 

 back, and the evening was devoted to a demonstration of dry 

 mounting for the microscope, the mounts being distributed 

 amongst the members as mementoes. 



Monday morning was shower}^, but the weather was chanced, 

 and the drag and a buggy were brought into requisition for 

 a trip to the Nobbies. Nothing of special interest was noticed 

 on the way until we arrived at Green Lake, where we had to 

 get out and walk. The sand-drift has been very bad about 

 here in the past, and the lake, which was at one time a fine 

 pool of water, has been very nearly filled in by the blown sand. 

 Towards Cat Bay there is a very interesting example of the 

 so-called petrified wood, but, as we had noticed the Cape 

 Woolamai material, we passed it by. Our walk took us through 

 Mr. P. Whelan's property. There is some talk of buying a 

 strip of this ground and making a proper road. It would be 

 a great boon to the visitors, as the road is very heavy at 

 present. The Nobbies were reached at last, and, while some 

 members lost themselves, others paid a visit to the " Blow- 

 hole." This is not a blow-hole proper, but a cave with a fairly 

 long tunnel. The water, which comes along the gulch way 

 with a heavy swell, rushes into this cave, and the air, becoming 

 compressed in the tunnel, sends the water back with great 

 force and a loud report, the spray at the same time being so 

 divided into minute particles that it looks like vapour. On 



