50 INTRODUCTION. 



New Sj)erra-Whale lately set up in the Australian Museum ; 

 tof^ether with some account of a new genus of Sperm-Whales 

 called Enphysetes' published by W. 11. Piddington, Sydney, 

 1851. In like manner, I cannot leave unpublished the fol- 

 lowing interesting letter respecting the Dugong, which has 

 been forwarded to me by my brother-in-law, Charles Coxen, 

 Esq., of Brisbane, Queensland : — 



" The Dugong {llalicore australis, Owen) occurs in con- 

 siderable numbers in Moreton Bay, but, I am led to believe, 

 is not found further south. To the north it is plentiful in all 

 the bays, such as Wide Bay, Port Curtis, Keppel Bay, &c., 

 and all along the east and north coasts, in every situation 

 suitable to its habits. In size it varies from six to nine feet 

 in length, the latter being the size of a large " bull j" the 

 weight also varies from GOO to 1000 lbs.; the girth at the 

 largest part, just behind the fli[)per8, is about six-eighths of 

 the length ; near the root of the tail it is very taper and 

 .small. The head is very peculiar : the eyes and ears are small; 

 the nostrils small and oblique ; the fleshy upper lip, which 

 de[)ends some-three or four inches from the jaw, is peculiarly 

 truncate in form, and covered with short stout bristles j the 

 lower lip is globular, pendulous, and attached by a small 

 neck to the jaw. The name given to the Dugong by the 

 aborigines is Young-un. The flesh is greedily eaten and 

 nuich sought for by them ; and when they have been suc- 

 cessful in procuring one or two, which occasionally hai)[)€ns, 

 they gorge themselves in a most unseemly manner, and 

 grease themselves all over with the fat and oil until they 

 glisten in the sun like a roll of butter in the dog-days. 



" The female, or ' cow,' exhibits much tenderness in the 

 care of her ofi'spring, and when injured utters a low, plaintive, 

 snuffling sound, which appears to be understood by the calf. 



" In the spring or calving-time they frequent the snudler 

 bays and inlets of Moreton Bay, and are found feeding, in 

 the more tranquil spots, on the Alyoi and other marine vege- 



