XV.] THE SEA-COW. 603 



in abundance on the shore cliffs of Behring Island, there are now 

 only single animals there along with the sea-bears {Otaria 

 ursiiia, Lin.) ; and finally, the most remarkable of all the old 

 mammalia of Behring Island, the great sea-cow, is completely 

 extinct. 



Stellers sea-cow (Ehi/tina Stcllcri, Cuvier) in a way took the 

 place of the cloven-footed animals among the marine mammalia. 

 The sea-cow was of a dark-brown colour, sometimes varied with 

 white spots or streaks. The thick leathery skin was covered with 

 hair which cjrew tos^ether so as to form an exterior skin, which was 

 full of vermin and resembled the bark of an old oak. The full 

 grown animal was from twenty-eight to thirty-five English feet 

 in length and weighed about sixty-seven cwt. The head was 

 small in proportion to the large thick body, the neck short, the 

 body diminishing rapidly behind. The short fore-leg terminated 

 abruptly without fingers or nails, but was overgrown with a 

 number of short thickly placed brush-hairs ; the hind -leg was 

 replaced b}^ a tail-fin resembling a whale's. The animal wanted 

 teeth, but was instead provided with two masticating plates, one in 

 the gum the other in the under jaw. The udders of the female, 

 which abounded in milk, were placed between the fore-limbs. 

 The flesh and milk resembled those of horned cattle, indeed in 

 Steller's opinion surpassed them. The sea-cows were almost 

 constantly employed in pasturing on the sea-weed which grew 

 luxuriantly on the coast, moving the head and neck while so 

 doing much in the same way as an ox. While they pastured 

 the}^ showed great v^oracity, and did not allow themselves to be 

 disturbed in the least by the presence of man. One might even 

 touch them without their being frightened or disturbed. They 

 entertained great attachment to each other, and when one was 

 harpooned the others made incredible attemjDts to rescue it. 



When Steller came to Behring Island, the sea-cows pastured 

 along the shore, collected Like cattle into herds. The ship- 

 wrecked men, for want of suitable implements, did not hunt 

 them at first. It was only after a thoughtless love of slaughter 

 had driven all other animals suitable for food far from theii- 

 Avinter quarters, that they began to devise means to catch the 

 sea-cow also. They endeavoured to harpoon the animal with a 

 strong iron hook made for the purpose, and then drag it to land. 

 The first attempt was made on the '^^l-^^^\ 1742, but it was un- 

 successful. It was not until after many renewed attempts that 

 they at last succeeded in killing and catching a number of 

 animals, and dragging them at high water so near land that they 

 were dry at ebb. They were so heavy that forty men were 

 required to do this ; we may conclude from these particulars that 

 the number of sea-cows killed during the first wintering on 

 Behring Island was not very large. For the first one was killed 



