40 NOTES ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OP THE BELL ROCK. 



with a rush they are on the surface, floating bolt upright, 

 with their muzzles almost touching, staring with their large, 

 expressive eyes into each other's face. An almost human 

 touch was given to their play by one taking the head of the 

 other between his fore-flippers, as if about to salute him, or 

 more likely her, in the orthodox fashion. One was seen the 

 other morning in possession of a large fish, while a number of 

 gulls sat at a safe distance round him, waiting for the frag- 

 ments when the feast should begin. By the way he glared at 

 them, he was evidently annoyed at their presence. Sinking 

 for a few seconds, he appeared on the surface minus the fish. 

 This was evidently intended as a ruse, and meant to imply 

 that he had lost it ; but the gulls seemed to know better, and 

 kept their position. Diving, he made his appearance some 

 distance off, this time with the fish in his mouth, only to find 

 himself, to his annoyance, again the centre of wistful ex- 

 pectations. Presuming these gulls to be up-to-date birds, 

 their exulting cacklings might be literally rendered "You 

 better begin, Mister Phoca ; it's no use trying, you know ; 

 you can't possibly dewett us ! " At least, the seal seemed to 

 think so, for he there and then opened the banquet with a rip 

 of his teeth that distributed the offal amongst the hungry 

 cordon. 



The rocks become at this season of the year invested with 

 a, slippery coating of algae, which renders it extremely difficult 

 to maintain one's footing, and also necessitates repeated 

 applications of hot lime to our gratings in order to render 

 them passable. Myriads of minute whelks, no larger than 

 turnip seed, strew the rocks and crunch under foot as we 

 walk, while great patches of mussel spawn delight the heart 

 of the more venturesome of the white whelks a prospecting 

 party who will doubtless communicate the promising state of 

 the commissariat to their fellows still in winter quarters. 



Fishing in the Rock pools has been tried for the first time 

 this season, and resulted in the capture of a solitary "cobbler." 

 It may be a month hence before we meet with any success. 



This month has been extremely mild, though the hills 



