No. 96. 



ABSTRACT OF THE PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.^ 



May 9th, 1911. 



E. G. B. Meade- Waldo, Esq., Vice-President, 

 in the Chair. 



The Minutes of the last Scientific Meeting were confirmed. 



Mr. R. I. PocoCK, F.R.S., F.L.S., Superintendent of the Gardens, 

 exhibited some of the hair of the " puppy coat " of a Grey Seal 

 {Halichcerus grpjms), which was caught at Barmouth, in Merioneth, 

 at the end of April. When received at the Gardens at the 

 beginning of May this Seal was covered, with exception of the 

 head and flippers, with longish woolly white hair, the last of 

 which was moulted on May 7th. Most authorities state that 

 Grey Seals are born in the autumn, not later than about the 

 middle of October, and that the puppy coat is shed from a month 

 to six weeks later. Allowing six weeks for the retention of its 

 puppy coat, this Welsh Grey Seal must have been born near the 

 middle of March, a date in tolerably close agreement with the 

 date, namely the end of February, given by Cneiflf for the birth 

 of these Seals in the Gulf of Bothnia. It is, therefore, quite clear 

 that these Seals breed both in the early spring and the autumn. 



Mr. E. G. BouLENGER exhibited some living male specimens of 

 the Midwife Toad {Alytes ohstetricans) carrying the eggs. He 

 also exhibited a number of the detached eggs to show the manner 

 in which they wei'e strung together. 



* Tliis Abstract is published by the Society at its offices, Zoological Gardens, 

 Regent's Park, N.W., on the Tuesday following the date of Meeting to vrhich 

 it refers. It will be issued, along with the ' Proceedings,' free of extra charge, 

 to all Fellows who subscribe to the Publications ; but it may be obtained on the 

 day of publication at the price of Sixinnce, or, if desired, sent post-free for 

 the sum of Six Shillings per annum, payable iu advance. 



