THE EXTINCTION OF ANIMALS 



115 



represented by a few mounted specimens in the museums 

 of the world. 



The male sea elephant is a remarkable animal, attaining 

 truly gigantic size. When aroused or infuriated, the nose 

 becomes filled with air, swells up, and assumes something 

 the appearance of an elephant's trunk, hence the name ; 



Fig. 97. — The Sea Elephant, Male and Females. 



but beyond this the resemblance is imaginary, as the trunk 

 so called could not be used as the elephant uses its most 

 pliable proboscis. 



With the passing of these huge forms will come that of 

 small seals of various kinds, many species being represented 

 by a few animals, comparatively speaking. A case in ques- 

 tion is the manatee. Within the memory of the author the 

 manatee was not a rare animal in Florida, near Biscayne 

 Bay and the Manatee River, and the Indians could capture 



