THE SEA COWS 57 



to southern Florida. It is almost nine feet in length and 

 resembles a huge seal. The tail instead of being whale- 

 like, as in the rhytina, is flat, but rounded at the corners, 

 or semi-oval. It is an interesting example of a milk-giving 

 animal adapted to life in the water, frequenting the warm 

 rivers, and occasionally coming ashore. The nostrils are 

 upon the upper side of the snout, so the animal can rest 

 just at the surface, unobserved, and breathe. The hind 

 limbs are entirely absent, being represented by the flat tail, 

 which in swimming strikes the water horizontally instead 

 of vertically. The skin is covered with scanty bristles, 

 well developed in the upper lip like a mustache. The 

 individuals observed by me remained concealed under 

 water most of the time. In Florida the manatee is rarely 

 seen, living in and about the mouths of rivers. It often 

 goes far inland, and is now confined to the most remote 

 regions or rivers, practically inaccessible. 



The manatee and its cousin, the dugong, are often men- 

 tioned in ancient works on natural history. Undoubtedly 

 they are the mermen referred to by the old writers, who 

 easily fell into the error, as the animals when standing 

 upright in the water had a very human appearance. The 

 young are frequently supported on the forearms, in much 

 the same manner as a baby is held by its mother. 



Another species of manatee is found in South America. 

 It is not so rare as the Florida form, ranging north to the 

 West Indies, where it lives in small herds and is noted 

 for its affectionate disposition. When the young or the 

 female are attacked, the male almost invariably remains by 

 and so loses its life. One which I observed stood either 

 upright in the water, with its tail touching the bottom, or 



