344 



The Journal of Heredity 



to the shore, where they are speedily 

 secured and slain." 



LONGEVITY OF THE MAXATKE 



"BufTon also tells us that Gomara 

 reared one in a lake in Santo Dt^minj^o, 

 and preserved it for the lonj; i)eriod of 

 twenty-six years. It became so tame 

 and familiar as to answer to its name, 

 and took pleasantly whatever nourish- 

 ment was offered." 



The Bri},'hton Museum in Enj^land 

 kept a \-oun}^ male in a tank for sixteen 

 months, durinj^' which time he thro\-e 

 remarkably and ate lettuce, cabbaj^e, 

 spinach, kale, baked ajij^lcs, celery 

 tojjs, etc. By accident, the water was 

 drained out of his tank, and he was 

 left on the bare floor during an excep- 

 tionally cold night. He died soon after 

 as the result, but with proper care, there 

 seems to be no reason why he should not 

 have existed indefinitely. 



In Ma\-, 1907, a bill was passed in the 

 Florida Legislature, placing a fine of 

 $500 on the killing of manatees. The 

 manatees have increased wonderfulh- 

 since the passing of the bill. Tourists 

 have always had an insane desire to 

 shoot the entirely helpless animals, 

 but with a check of $500 laid on 

 the act, few care to pay the jjrice for 

 the sport. 



The dugong, the only family of the 

 order Sirenia besides the manatee, is 

 an animal which is i)ractically identical 

 with the manatee except in a few minor 

 anatomical differences, and inhabits 

 almost the whole troi)ical region of the 

 Old World. Since the two species are 

 ])ractically identical in appearance, and 

 no sharj) line is drawn of the geograi)h- 

 ical distribution of the two grou])s, this 

 article will consider them as identical, 

 which they are, considered from an 

 economic viewjjoint. 



The dugong is considered by the 

 Malays as a royal fish and the king is 

 entitled to all that are taken. The 

 flesh is considered by them to be sui^erior 

 to that of the buffalo or ox. The affec- 

 tion of the mother for its young is very 

 strongly markerl, and the Malays make 

 frequent allusion to this animal as an 

 example of maternal affectifm. When 

 they have taken the offspring tlu'\- feel 



certain of the mother, and it is said that 

 the \-oung shed tears. These tears are, 

 it is alleged, carefull}' preserved by the 

 common ]jeople as a charm, the posses- 

 sion of which is supposed to secure the 

 affections of those to whom they are 

 attached, in the same manner as they 

 attract the mother to her young. 



Unlike many new meats, the flesh of 

 the manatee is universally liked by 

 every one. who has tasted it. It is often 

 compared to veal cutlets, although some 

 have likened it to lean pork or tender 

 beef, but all agree in praising its white- 

 ness, delicacy and delicious flavor. 

 When salted, it is i:ke excellent bacon, 

 and keeps well. The tail is often 

 pickled and eaten cold, when it is 

 considered a great delicac\\ The buc- 

 caneers were accustomed to replenish 

 their supplies by a drive on the 

 manatees, and frequent testimonials 

 in their writings bear witness to the 

 high esteem in which they held the 

 animal. 



Dugong skin has long been used in the 

 Red Sea region, and the Children of 

 Israel are said to have covered the roof 

 of their Tabernacle with it. Al-Kazwini 

 and Ibn-al-Wardi, medieval Arab men of 

 science, state that in the Sea of Al- 

 Kulzum (the Red Sea), is a "fish in the 

 form of a cow, which bringeth forth its 

 young and suckleth like a cow," and 

 add, "shields are made of its skin." 

 They later state that in the same sea are 

 "fish shaped like camels, 20 cubits long, 

 the back of which is (like) excellent 

 tortoise shell, and it bringeth forth 

 young and suckleth like human beings." 

 Skin which could be used for covering 

 shields and which was called "excel- 

 lent tortoise shell" must certainly have 

 been of durable quality. The reference 

 to the camel probably refers to the 

 l)osition sometimes assumed by the 

 dugong in arching its back. 



A VALUABLE SKIN 



Captain Dampier remarks that the 

 skin of the manatee proved of much 

 value to the buccaneers, who used it for 

 their most strenuous work, including 

 thole strai)s on their oars. The hides 

 of the old bulls i)roved too heavy for 

 the primitive methods employed, but 



