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is flat or cuneiform, being compressed on each side, 

 and gradually diminishing from the abdomen to 

 the extremity, which, with the whole body, is 

 covered with horny plates or squammae, im- 

 penetrable when on the body of the live animal, 

 even to a rifle ball, except about their head and 

 just behind their forelegs or arms, where, it is said, 

 they are only vulnerable. The head of a full- 

 grown one is about three feet, and the mouth opens 

 about the same length ; their eyes are small in pro- 

 portion and seem sunk deep in the head by means 

 of the prominency of the brows; the nostrils are 

 large, inflated, and prominent on top, so that the 

 head resembles, at a distance, a great chunk of 

 wood floating about. Only the upper jaw moves, 

 which they raise almost perpendicular, so as to 

 form a right angle with the lower one. In the fore 

 part of the upper jaw, on each side, just under the 

 nostrils, are two very large, thick, strong teeth or 

 tusks, not very sharp, but rather the shape of a 

 cone; these are as white as the finest polished 

 ivory, and are not covered by any skin or lips, and 

 always in sight, which gives the creature a fright- 

 ful appearance: in the lower jaw are holes opposite 

 to these teeth, to receive them: when they clap 



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