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lioLblctl np with a monacinf^ roar, and fairly commenced the 

 attack, SiC." Ho luiibrtunatoly does not indicate the character 

 of the species — the fur seal observed by Flinders at Cone 

 Point, its sharp pointed nose &c., distinguishing it from the 

 Otaria Falklandica, or ordinary fur seal of commerce, which 

 is described as having a broad head and rather flat. A 

 yellowish seal is described by M. Peron as occurring at the I. 

 des Phoques in enormous quantities. He says " the largest, 

 which were of a yellowish colour, occupied the upper portions 

 of the rock, while the smaller, which appear black, filled the 

 cavities in the rocks below." Probably the larger species 

 here referred to was identical with the sandy-haired large 

 seal described by Flinders in Armstrong's Channel, and the 

 smaller black ones with the fur seal at Cone Point. Many 

 other incidental observations on the habits and abundance of 

 seals are made by these old and intelligent observers, for 

 example M. Labillardiere especially draws attention to the fact 

 of a seal killed in D'Entrecasteaux Channel (which he calls 

 iPhoca menachus) having been found to have been feeding on 

 shell fish. But of these it will be unnecessary to quote more, 

 suflScient having been cited to prove that in the earlier times 

 four, if not five species of seals were abundant in the Straits, 

 viz., Macrorliinus proboscidens (Cuv.) or the sea elephant. The 

 sea leopard (Stenorynchus lej)tonyx), a fur seal, and one, or 

 perhaps two hair seals. At the present day from my inquiries 

 I learn that there remain the sea leopard and at least one hair 

 seal, and one fur seal. The haunts of these are on the double 

 rocks off Moriarty Bank south east of Clarke's Island, the 

 Stacks, or Craggy Island of the charts, between Flinders Island 

 and Kent's Group, Barren Joe's Island, Hogan's Group near 

 Wilson's Promontory, and some of the other rocky islands off 

 the Victorian coast line; nmre occasionally they are found on 

 the westernmost of Kent's Group and the Sisters Kock. Only 

 the hair and fur seal are pursued, and rather for the oil which 

 they afford than for the skins. One or two small sealing parties 

 still annually leave the islands in the Straits for the purpose of 

 their capture. The seals in Hogan's Group are described as 

 gathering into a vast cavern, only communicating with the sea 

 by a narrow outlet, impassable for a boat, but with a narrow 

 open crevice in the roof above which permits of the most 

 adventurous in the party being lowered by a rope down into 

 the midst of them ; they are killed by shooting and clubbing. 

 The number annually obtained, however, from the whole 

 group is but small ; what the numbers originally obtained 

 amounted to may be inferred from the following extracts of a 

 few takes recorded by old Sydney Gazettes, and quoted by 

 Mr. James Bonwick, from whom I borrow them : — " The 



