356 FAUNA AND FLORA OF THE FALKLANDS. 



harbour early in tlie morning of the 6th February by a shepherd 

 who was returning home along the south side of the harbour, 

 the tide at that time having ebbed about three hours. This man 

 was good enough to send his lad who was with him at once to 

 inform me of his discovery ; and in a very short time I was on 

 the spot with my camera. 



On my arrival, I found this huge beast lying absolutely 

 motionless on the beach, the high-water mark being easily 

 distinguished by a line of Macrocystis just level with the left 

 flijiper. Fig. 1. A side view of the anterior half of the animal 

 shewing several old wounds, and one in the neck of recent date 

 still suppurating can be easily seen. Fig. 2. At the moment 

 when this photograph was taken, the creature was in the act of 

 emptying its lungs, the trunk being very slightly inflated. 



Being anxious to obtain one or more photographs of this 

 beast with its trunk in an inflated condition, I requested the man 

 to cautiously give it a violent blow on the nose with a stick he 

 held in his hand, and Fig. 3 was the result. After a brief inter- 

 val, during which the animal tried to bite everyone, I cautiously 

 stood in front of this creature, and had the operation repeated, 

 and Fig. 4 was taken. The flecks of white on the chest are 

 masses of saliva which streamed from the corners of the mouth 

 during the rage of the animal, owing to the rough handling it 

 it had undergone. The last photograph. Fig 5, is a view of the 

 animal in an exhausted condition. 



"When killed, this specimen was found to measure (with a 

 tape) 17 feet 8 inches in length, from the tip of the trunk to the 

 caudal extremity; and 18 feet 11^ inches from the end of the 

 trunk to a straight line between the two hinder extremities. 



This specimen was killed with a whale-lance. The amount 

 of blood which drained from the creature was immense, and 

 coloured the rising tide bright crimson for many yards round. It 

 was singular to notice the great shrinkage of the body after 

 death ; the animal when alive, had every appearance of being 

 plump and well nourished ; but after death the skin was quite 

 flaccid. 



While the owner of this Seal was removing the hide, he 

 kindly allowed me to examine the stomach, and as in many pre- 



