THE MERMAID. 



43 



fore obliged to come to the surface at frequent inter\-als 

 for respiration. As they breathe through nostrils at the 

 end of the muzzle, instead of, like most of the whales, 

 through a blow-hole on the top of the head, their habit is 

 to rise, sometimes vertically, in the water, with the head 

 and fore part of the body exposed above the surface, and 

 often to remain in this position for some minutes. When 

 seen thus, with head and breast bare, and clasping its 

 young one to its body, the female presents a certain re- 



FIG. i6. — THE DUGONG. Fvom Sir J. Emcrsoii Tcnucnt's '■ dylon.^ 



semblance to a woman from the waist upward. When 

 approached or disturbed it dives ; the tail and hinder portion 

 of the body come into view, and we see that if there was 

 little of the " inulier fonnosa siepcrjie," at any rate " dcsinit 

 in piscem!' The manatee has thence been called by the" 

 Spaniards and Portuguese the "woman-fish," and by the 

 Dutch the "manetje," or mannikin. The dugong, having 

 the muzzle bristly, is named b\- the latter the "baard- 

 manetje," or "little bearded man." There are no bristles 

 or whiskers on the muzzle of the manatee ; all the portraits 



