156 NATURAL HISTORY ESSAYS 



The sea-cow or rhytina^ [Rkytma stellert) — 

 morskaia korova of the Russians — was a large 

 animal attaining a length of about -^o (or even 35) 

 feet, a maximum girth of about 20 feet, and a 

 weight of some 8,000 lbs. (3^ tons). Closely allied 

 to existing sirenians (manatees and dugongs) it 

 resembled them in its small head broadening from 

 above downwards, in its smooth body provided with 

 anterior flippers only, and in its forked tail. It 

 differed from them in its toothless mouth, the dental 

 apparatus being replaced by horny pads on the palate 

 and lower jaw. The lips were freely movable, the 

 upper one being fringed with white bristles, trans- 

 lucent like those of a walrus. The tongue was 

 pointed and rough. The eyes were small like a 

 sheep's, with a black iris. The neck was rounded 

 and but slightly marked, passing imperceptibly into 

 the huge conical body, which ended in a fluked tail. 

 The flippers were roughened with bristles and may 

 have exercised some adhesive action similar to that 

 stated by Sir Everard Home to be exerted by the 

 walrus. The skin was extremely thick and tough, 

 wrinkled, and of a dark brown colour, varied with 

 lighter spots or streaks." These strange wildfowl 

 from their superficial resemblance to cetaceans were, 

 together with manatees and dugongs, formerly placed 



1 Rhytina (less correctly rytina) is from the Greek pvri's = Latin 

 ruga, a wrinkle. 



2 Very young examples of the Australian manatee are similarly of a 

 dark chocolate hue. 



