252 ANCIENT MONUMENTS. 



lunar nostrils directed forwards. The edge of the upper lip is tumid, furrowed in 

 the middle, and provided with thick and stiff' whiskers. The lower lip is narrower 

 and shorter than the upper, and the opening of the mouth is small. The eyes are 

 situated towards the upper part of the head, at the same distance from the snout 

 as the angle of the lips. The ears are very small, scarcely perceptible, and placed 

 at the same distance from the eyes that the latter are from the snout. 



" The neck is not distinguished by any diminution or difference in size from the 

 head and trunk, and the latter does not diminish except from the umbilicus, whence 

 it rapidly decreases until it spreads out and becomes flattened, with a broad, thin, 

 and seemingly truncated extremity. The tail forms about a fourth of the length 

 of the animal. 



" The arm-bones which sustain the tins are more separated from the body than 

 those of the delphinus, and have digits more distinguishable through the integu- 

 ments. The edges of the fin have four flat and rounded nails, which do not extend 

 beyond the membrane, the nail of the thumb being deficient. The skin is of a 

 gray color, is slightly shagreened, and has upon it a few scattered hairs, which are 

 more numerous than elsewhere about the angles of the lips and the palmar surface 

 of the fins. 



" The full-grown lamantin is from fifteen to twenty feet in length, by eight in 

 circumference, and weighs several thousand pounds."* 



" Head not distinct from the body ; eyes very small ; tongue oval ; vestiges of 

 nails on the margin of the pectoral fins ; six cervical vertebrae ; sixteen pair of 

 thick ribs ; moustach es composed of a bundle of very strong hairs directed downwards 

 and forming on each side a kind of corneous tus/c.^'f 



Flo. 154. 



These external features are faithfully and minutely exhibited in the sculptures from 

 the mounds. The truncated head, small and scarcely distinguishable ears, thick, 

 semi-circular snout, peculiar nostrils, tumid, furrowed upper lip, singular feet or 

 fins, and remarkable moustaches, are all distinctly marked, and render the recognition 

 of the animal complete. Only one of the sculptures exhibits a flat, truncated tail ; 

 the others are roiuul. There is however a variety of the lamantin {Manitus 



* Godimurs American Nutuiul llistmy, vol. ii. p. 1.54. \ Dcsm. iVouc. IJisI ,V(//., .wii. p. -213. 



