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OBSERVATIONS ON THE GREY SEAL. 
EDMUND SELOUS. 
(Continued from page 221). 
The new-born Seal, however, was fed again. I cannot, of 
course, say whether this was only the second time. and while it 
was still night, that is to say while it was still dark, except for the 
weak light of a crescent moon which had nowrisen.* Yet it was 
not by this light—at least not alone—that I was able to see what 
took place. Something, to me quite new, aided me in this, and I 
can now record that Seals—at least Grey Seals—are phosphores- 
cent at night. Boththe shape and the movements of the mother, 
as she came up the rocks, were revealed to me owing to this 
circumstance, and then I saw the young one, like an enlarged 
glow-worm, jerking itself towards her. When I say the shape, 
I mean only the general mass of the substance, or rather some 
part of it, and the outline was only indicated, and probably 
falsely. The light, as it seemed to me, spread outwards from 
some central portion, but without reaching the periphery. It 
was greenish or greenish white, witha blue gleam here and there. 
Sometimes it shone more or less brightly, and at other times, 
almost or quite went out. In, or as this ight, I saw the 
young one descend from the rock on which it had been moving, 
and where it had before been fed, into the cleft or channel 
beyond its edge (a thing which I had thought quite impossible 
for it to do, except through accident, with death as a con- 
sequence), climb up another great block bordering this upon 
the other side, on which the mother now lay, and then the small 
fish-like form of elfish fire jerked itself up to the larger one, 
the two as they coincided, being in the same relative position 
towards each other as on the other occasions of suckling. 
After about the same time as before, the old Seal moved again, 
revealing herself clearly through her luminousness (which she 
had nearly ceased to do, as she lay) and I saw her thus self- 
light her way down the rocky channel to the sea by which 
she had made her approach and retirement in the evening— 
yesteday evening now, this entry passing into that of 
OCTOBER 13TH.—It was perfectly evident that the lumin- 
ousness of the Seals increased or decreased according to their 
movements or quiescence, becoming much more vivid through 
motion. One must, I suppose, attribute the whole effect to 
the water of the sea in the animal’s fur, which would preclude 
the -idea of its being under personal control. On this view, 
however, the young Seal must have managed to wet itself 
* According to my recollection or conjecture there was certainly 
some small light which was not, I think, that of dawning. 
1915 Aug. 1. 
