60 



specimen from Jamaica is figured by Sir Everard Home (Lectures, 

 iv. t. 54), and the head of this skeleton is copied under tbe name of 

 M. aiistralis by "NVagner (Saugeth. t. 381. f. 4), and tbe animal is 

 figured from a drawing by Mr. Gosse in tbe Figures of Aniraals 

 pubUshed by the Cbristian Knowledge Society, as the Manati. 



The more adult of the Museum škulis exactly agree M-ith Dr. 

 Harlan's figures of the skull on which be founded M. latirostris 

 from the coast of East Florida. 



I am inclined to believe tbat all tbe škulis from America in tbe 

 British Museum, and tbat of a very young specimen in tbe šame 

 Coilection, belong to one species, though tbey vary considerably in 

 tbe height of tbe intermasillary bones, in the comparative length 

 and breadtb of the nasal opening, the extent of the bending down 

 of the front of the upper jaw, tbe completeness and iucompleteness 

 of the orbit, and in tbe smootbness, roundness, or augularity and 

 rugosity of the gonyx of tbe lower ja\v ; but I tbink tbat all these 

 differences may be referable to the age and sex of tbe specimens, tbe 

 upper jaw being more deflexed and lengtheued as tbe animal in- 

 creases in age. All the older specimens bave a small, conical, ru- 

 gose, bony prominence in tbe middle line of the front of the lo\ver 

 jaw, and the apex of tbe coronoid process truncated and expauded 

 into an angle bebind and before, as represented in De Blainville and 

 Cuvier's figures of M. australis and M. latirostris. This is even 

 the case in the skull of a very young animal with only tbe milk 

 teeth. 



On the otber hand, in Dr. Baikie's skull of M. Vogelii, and in 

 M. De Blainville' s figure of M. Senegalensis, the coronoid process 

 of the lower jaw is narrow above, with tbe hinder upper part ob- 

 liąuely rounded off, and witb a slight angle in front ; so tbat this is 

 probably the character of tbe African species. I may also remark, 

 tbat the front of the lower jaw of Dr. Baikie's specimen is produced 

 and very differently sbaped from tbat of any of the American škulis, 

 and in this character it differs from M. De Blainville' s figure of M. 

 Senegalensis ; but this difference may be only in consequence of its 

 youth. 



Dr. Harlan observes : — " Cuvier estimates the teeth at 36, niue 

 on each side ; in both my specimens tbey do not exceed 32, eigbt on 

 each side." 



In the very young skull above mentioned, whicb has holes for the 

 rudimentary upper cutting or canine teeth, there are only 24, viz. 

 six on each side ; and the two hinder on each side mušt bave been 

 hidden in the gums. In the older škulis some bave eigbt and others 

 nine on each side, but in most of tbem only six on each side are 

 perfect ; as the anterior one on each side drops out as tbe new ones 

 are formed behind, and in each of the škulis two hinder on each 

 side are in the process of development, 



But the ąuestion of tbe permauent specific difference between the 

 M. australis from Cayennc, the M. latirostris from East Florida, 

 Jamaica and Cuba, and betvveeu M. Senegalensis of Blainville (not 

 of Cuvier, \vbich is likę the first) and M. Fnt/elii, mušt wait for 



