282 Selous: Observations on the Grey Seal. 
again, evidently with the idea of coming out, but again thewan- 
dering human form turned it away. MHeatherley, King and 
myself now walked towards the farther nook of the shore, 
where the two young Seals, the younger of which was born 
now four days ago, are accustomed to le on the rocks. As 
we got there one of these was being suckled. I could, it is 
true, only just see the body of the old Seal, but both from her 
attitude (on her side) and position in relation to the calf, I 
feel sure of the fact. But which of the two calves was it that 
she was suckling? I certainly took it to be the larger and 
older one of the two, and our skipper’s son, an alert lad of some 
sixteen or so, when the point arose, sometime afterwards, 
stated positively that it was. The point, as will shortly be 
seen, is of interest and therefore I emphasise the fact, that this 
lad, without knowledge of the question at issue or having 
personal interest in the matter, beyond that which belongs to 
an eye-witness as such (which, however, would be here pretty 
keen), gave prompt and positive testimony to having seen 
and distingusihed both the young Seals, and that it was the 
larger of the two that was with the parent. How far the 
suckling had proceeded, whether it was but just begun or (as 
T now think) nearly over, I cannot say, for, with a view to test- 
ing the truth of the various stories—none, so far as I know, 
satisfactorily attested—of phocine delight in the ‘concord of 
sweet sounds,’ the gramaphone was now set going, with the 
instantaneous effect (to all appearance) of sending the mother 
into the water. Here she hung about, close in shore, with all 
the appearance of being pleased with the strains, but as she 
continued to do so after they had ceased, for a reason which 
will shortly appear, it will be seen that the post hoc here by no 
means implies the propter hoc. Meanwhile the calf that had 
been with the old Seal just before her flight, climbed further up 
upon the rock and went to sleep, lying on its back in a very 
comfortable looking manner, quite in consonance with the view 
that it had been fed. A little while afterwards the newly-born 
calf came into view, and, after considerable delay, the same 
mother Seal came in and suckled it. On the point of identity 
I can speak here with confidence, but I am not, it seems, 
entitled to feel equally sure in regard to that of the young Seal 
that had just gone to sleep, as described, since my notes state 
as follows :—‘ I am very sorry that I cannot say with absolute 
certainty that it was the calf which, at the time of our arrival 
was being suckled, that thus acted.’ I cannot now (when 
copying out my notes a month afterwards) recall every detail 
to my memory, but since the relative sizes of the two young 
Seals did not allow of their being mistaken, one for the other, 
if clearly seen, and since there was no doubt at all in regard 
to the identity of the one last suckled, whilst my description 
® Naturalist, 
