2. nALTCORE. 363 



any external differciieo, or character in the skull and skeleton, by 

 which I can separate the Indian from the Australian Dugong ; the 

 changes in the form of the skull and teeth are common to the speci- 

 mens of the two localities ; therefore I am inclined to believe that 

 the slight changes in the form of the bladobone and teeth which 

 have been observed have arisen from the age or sex of the specimen 

 described. 



The skulls do not seem to be so liable to vary in form as the skull 

 of the Manatee of America and Africa. 



Legnate mentions the Dugong as inhabiting the shores of the 

 Mascarin Islands " in great numbers. They attain 20 feet in length, 

 and feed like sheep in three or four fathoms of water, making no 

 attempt at escape when approached. Sometimes they were shot at 

 the end of the musket, sometimes laid hold of and forced on shore. 

 Three or four hundred were met with together, and they were so far 

 fi-om shy that they suiFered themselves to be handled, and the fattest 

 were thus selected. The larger ones were avoided, not only on 

 account of the trouble they gave in the capture, but because the 

 flesh was not so good as that of the smaller and younger ones." — 

 Penwj Cydopcedla, Whales. 



General Hardvsdcke's figure of the Malay Dugong, which was taken 

 from life, represents the animal as uniform slaty black ; and M. F. 

 Cuvier's figure was a copy of this figure, taken by M. DuvauccUe. 



In the ' Voyage of the Astrolabe ' the Dugong is figured pale ful- 

 vous, with white lower parts, and with fulvous blotches on the side. 

 This was probably from a dry skin. 



Sir J. E. Tennant, in his work on Ceylon, gives a woodcut show- 

 ing the mode in which the female carries her young. 



The Dugong is seldom caught at Singapore. About 8 or 9 feet in 

 length ; but how much larger they grow is not ascertained, as when 

 they exceed that size their superior strength enables them to make 

 their escape. — liaffics, Linn. Trans, xiii. 



The Dugong is not numerous at Singapore, still less so to the 

 northward, and has but in few instances been observed in Kurla 

 moda, the mouth of the river which foi'ms the northern boundary of 

 the province of Wellcsley. It is called Duyon or Pa7-ampuan Laut 

 by the Malays. — Cantor, Malay Mamm. 60. 



The Andaman Island is the most northern locality yet ascertained 

 of the Indian Dugong in the Bay of Bengal. It must be scarce there, 

 or the bones would be more frequently found to decorate those rude 

 lairs. They are common in the Gulf of Calpentyn, on the west coast 

 of Ceylon, where the ficsh is held in esteem, and they occur in all the 

 salt-water inlets from that gulf to Adambridge. They are also found, 

 and called " the Seal," on the shore and in the salt-water inlet of 

 the Concan, where they feed on the vegetable matter found on the 

 rocks, and bask and sleep in the morning sun. These are most 

 likely the seals mentioned by Forbes, in his ' Oriental Memoirs,' as 

 abounding in the salt water of Travancore. He described their skin 

 as covered with soft, oily haii', and having short ears. 



Barchemitz says the males at Moreton Bay are a little larger than 



