THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. 223 



Then there is the Hog- fish (Labrus flavus, L. ?), of 

 singular beauty, shaped somewhat like a perch, with 

 silvery grey scales ; the head marked all over with 

 streaks of brilliant violet blue, fantastically arranged, 

 somewhat like the stripes upon the head of the 

 Zebra. Still, however, even here there is some 

 deformity ; at least, every thing does not accord with 

 our habitual ideas of comeliness ; these beauties are 

 set off, as by a foil, by the visage of the Cat-fish 

 {Silurus catus), a creature of remarkably hideous 

 aspect, but which is esteemed as food. 



In some of the quiet nooks and sheltered bays 

 of these lovely islands, where the vegetation is green 

 and luxuriant to the water's edge, we may catch 

 a sis^ht of a herd of Manatees, or Sea-Cows. These 

 animals are usually classed with the Whales, but 

 they seem, indeed, to be much more intimately con- 

 nected with the Pachydermata, an order that con- 

 tains the Elephant and Hippopotamus. The form is 

 long and tapering, but plump, and has been com- 

 pared to that of a filled wine-skin or leather bottle. 

 The hinder feet are altogether wanting, but the fore 

 limbs assume the appearance of broad flat fins or 

 flippers, the fingers of which are not separated ex- 

 ternally, but can be distinctly felt through the skin ; 

 and the nails or claws by which the paw is termi- 

 nated, sufficiently indicate their presence. These 

 creatures are perfectly inoffensive in their manners, 

 timid, and retiring ; they delight in secluded places, 

 shallow creeks, and particularly the mouths of the 

 great South American rivers, often proceeding many 

 miles up the country. For such situations they are 



