32 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



various parts of the country. No continued or methodical 

 means had been taken to abate the " nuisance," as it hardly 

 paid for fisher-folk to neglect their various avocations of wink- 

 ling, musselling, cockling, shrimping, &c, to pursue them. A 

 higher reward was suggested. He estimated that there are now 

 about two thousand head of Seals, a considerable increase over 

 last year's one thousand ; and he concluded that unless strenuous 

 efforts were made to reduce them, three thousand might be 

 expected there next year. Complaints — fisher-folk are never 

 really content — were rife as to the havoc made among the fishes 

 of the Wash. The large middle sands between Lynn Deeps 

 and Boston Deeps were favourite haunts ; on the Dog's Head 

 Sand three hundred Seals were met with atone time. The young 

 were carefully screened and protected by their parents. In this 

 group alone the juveniles were reckoned at quite a hundred. 

 Some young ones were captured and kept for some time on board 

 the Fisheries boat, ' Protector,' and, although still " suckers," 

 they were soon capable of devouring daily a bucketful of fish, 

 which was cut up small for them. They show a preference for 

 small Hat lish, but were keen enough to accept dogfish when 

 other food was scarce. The Inspector anticipated that next 

 year " sportsmen " would be attracted to the spot, an eventuality 

 that could hardly be desirable when the instincts and tender 

 mercies of the average " sportsman " are known to be not seldom 

 cruel. A young Seal drifted down to Yarmouth beach on the 

 I in September, and was easily caught by a mau, who after- 

 ward* disposed of it to a menagerie. 



With regard to the infant Seals, Mr. Donnison, in his Report, 

 Btatee that twenty-five were brought on board alive, two-thirds 

 of which still had the umbilical cord attached to them, a proof 

 of their exceediug juvenility; these measured from 3j in. to 

 G in. in length. The average length of these cubs was 2 ft. G in., 

 and weights figured at from 24 lb. to 27 lb. A fisherman informed 

 him that a large Seal he had taken weighed about 26 stones, and 

 measured from tip to tip 6 ft. 6 in. ; an unborn young one taken 

 from it was 2 ft. G in. in length. The Inspector refers to the species 

 generally as Phoca vitulina, but it would be extremely interesting if 

 by careful examination the Grey Seal (IlalicJuerus grypktu) or any 

 other less common local species could be identified among them. 



