298 THE MANATEE. 



greediness of the Indian, who spares no pains when 

 he has the prospect of getting any. The most are 

 very white and of a pleasant taste, and many ships' 

 companies have often experienced the virtues of it 

 in the recovery of their healths," Modern authors 

 generally corroborate these statements. They uni- 

 formly affirm that the flesh is excellent, tasting more 

 like beef than fish. Gumilla states that the flesh of 

 those of the Oronoco, when roasted, has the flavour 

 of pork and the taste of veal, and when salted makes 

 excellent sea store. 



The carcase of an animal belonging to this genus 

 is said to have come ashore at Newhaven, in the 

 Frith of Forth, in the autumn of 1785. It had, 

 however, been long dead, and was so much destroy- 

 ed, that Mr Stewart, who examined it, could not de- 

 termine the species. Duhamel also mentions that a 

 female Manatus, with its cub, was thrown ashore 

 near Dieppe, where it was regarded an extraordi- 

 nary occurrence. 



M. SENEGALENSIS, Adanson, Cuv. Desm 



THE celebrated Naturalist Adanson was the first to 

 notice this animal, which M. F. Cuvier, from an 

 examination of its cranium, has separated from the 

 former. It frequents the rivers and shores of West- 

 ern Africa, arid especially of Senegal. Adanson, we 



