284. Selous: Observations on the Grey Seal. 
of the coast-line which forms here on the ——-——* side, 
during ordinary tides, three little inlets which have become now, 
through the present spring-tides, so many straits between rocky 
islets, at high water. In one of these I saw a young Seal swim- 
ming about and much enjoying itself, often on its back, with 
one or other flipper projecting from the water and flapped 
lazily and luxuriously, as before described. Before long this 
young one was joined by its mother and there was again the 
sympathetic sight of the two playing affectionately together, 
the young one once or twice on the old one’s back, but not 
oftener, and it again struck me that this was not a definitely 
proposed thing, but that it came about sometimes more or less 
fortuitously. To these general frolic—or play—actions I 
have to add the specialised one of nosing, now several times 
seen by me, but before this only during or just before suckling. 
Mother and calf press their noses, more particularly—to some 
extent the whole muzzle—lightly together, and keep them thus 
for a few seconds. In suckling (though I have not before 
recorded it) chis may take place as the mother and calf meet, 
or the mother will move her head round to the calf, in an interval 
of the feeding, as she sometimes raises and sweeps it a little in 
its direction merely to look at it. On these occasions, the 
initiative is all on her part but thus performed in the water 
it is—that is to say it was now shared by both of them. The 
action is very light, and is over quite quickly—like smelling 
a rose. It is very pleasant to witness, seeming to be full of 
a mutual quiet affection. 
(To be continued). 
3 OG 
MOULTING OF ONISCUS ASELLUS, LINNE. 
CHARLES MOSLEY. 
WHILE gardening on the afternoon of July 7th, my daughter 
Beatrice discovered a woodlouse (Oniscus asellus Linné.), 
in the act of casting its skin... The creature had taken up its 
position for the purpose amongst broken ‘ crocks,’ used for 
potting. The process of casting the amterior portion of the 
skin was in operation, and we watched it to the finish. The 
head and the next two or three segments were still under the 
old skin, which, however, was very loose; apparently it had 
already almost left the larger surface of the body, and the 
animal was then engaged more in extricating the lmbs, 
antennae, legs, etc. The old skin was very pale grey and semi- 
* IT must confess to not knowing whether it was north, south, east or 
west. 
Naturalist, 
