87 



ON THE FORMER OCCURRENCE OF THE SEAL IN 



THE TEES ESTUARY, AND ON THE 



ADJOINING COAST. 



By R. Lofthouse. 



Previous to the year 1830 large numbers of Seals ( Plioca 

 vitulina) frequented the estuary of the River Tees, and the sea 

 coasts, north and south of the mouth of the river. According 

 to the late Mr. Fallows (see " The River Tees, and what has 

 been done for it ") the estuary of the Tees comprised between 

 seven and eight hundred acres, completely overflowed at high 

 water, in some places only to the depth of a few inches. 



Previous to this, however, the tide overflowed a much 

 larger area of land, for in Bailey's " General View of the 

 Agriculture of the County of Durham," published in 1810, we 

 are told that about the year 1740 embankments were constructed, 

 which remain in places to the present day, to secure the lands 

 of Saltholnie, near the Tees mouth, from being overflowed by 

 the tide And in subsequent times a good deal of difficulty 

 appears to have been experienced in maintaining these enjbank- 

 ments, breaches having, at difl'erent times, had to be made good. 

 The whole length of the embankment is stated to have been 

 about four miles. The quantity of land reclaimed was for 



