172 



Some years ago a young one from Surinam was sent to the 

 Zoological Gardens in London, and that genial naturalist Krank 

 Bnckland in his ' Curiosities of Natural History" gives an 

 amusing account of its frolics ; —how its guardian Mr. Bartlett 

 had to wade knee deep in the tank to perform the duties of wet 

 nurse by aid of a large bottle, and how, the serious business of 

 feeding accomplished, a good romp ensued, in which nurse and 

 baby bowled each other over in a fashion altogether unknown in 

 an oruinary well-conducted nursery. 



A young male was last year domiciled in the Botanical 

 Gardens of liritish Guiana, and I am pleased to learn from the 

 Argosy of that colony, dated February 1 1th of the present year, 

 that he has been supplied with a mate. It will be interesting 

 to wait the issue of events, and to note Avhetlier these being in 

 ca])tivity will propagate. Apparently attempts made in this 

 direction in Europe have hitherto proved a failure. 



The mammae of the female are in close proximity to the 

 arm -pits, if one may be allowed to use the term. She some- 

 times hold her yonng under her flippi-r while it is drawing its 

 nourishment, and it is perhaps this habit which has gained for 

 her the appellation of Mermaid. The flesh is not bad eating, 

 and bears some resemblance to fat pork. The oil obtained is 

 very abundant in quantity, and in quality is not unlike cod 

 liver oil, in fact the dugong oil of Australia is prepared for 

 export as a substitute for that obtained from the cod. The 

 Indians of South America though not averse to eating manatee 

 meat, still hold the animal in a sort of superstitious reverence, it 

 being to outward appearance a fish, — and yet so remaikably 

 unfish-like in its habits and propensities. 



As may be gathered from the rough sketch I have made, 

 the skeleton is exceedingly m issive, particularly the bones of 

 the skull and ribs. It will be seen that the conformation of the 

 bones at the extremity of the flipper, is very much that of the 

 human hand — with its five digits. 



In conu^uding these brief and I am afraid faulty notes upoii 

 one of the most interesting of our Trinidad wild animals, but one 

 which unfortunately threatens soon to become extinct, I would 

 remind my hearers that they are simply the ideas roughly and 

 imperfectly put together of a thoroughly uaicientific member 

 of our Field Naturalist s Club. 



3rd March, 1893, 



