vii. THE MERMAID. 105 



cushions, for they can be drawn together for this purpose. 

 The under surface of the whole upper lip is then drawn 

 inwards, and the leaf tucked into the mouth. The lower 

 lip hardly takes any part in the process. 



When she is at home this manatee mermaid frequents 

 the estuaries, creeks, and inlets of tropical Africa and 

 America. She does not often venture far out to sea her 

 cousin, the dugong of the Indian Ocean, being somewhat 

 more marine in its range. But none of the sirens are lovers 

 of the wide and open seas like the typical whales. Some 

 years ago, in 1866, Mr. Clarence Bartlett was despatched 

 by the Zoological Society to Surinam to escort to the Zoo 

 a baby manatee. Dr. Murie gives an amusing description 

 of Mr. Bartlett's conscientious endeavours to perform effi- 

 ciently the duties of wet-nurse to this sucking mermaid. 

 She lived in a little lakelet, at the edge of which Mr. 

 Bartlett would wade about coaxing the little creature to 

 the water's edge. After a stolen suck or two at the 

 " black jack " containing a good supply of cow's milk, she 

 would at length submit to be taken on to his lap, and 

 there she would suck away might and main till the bottle 

 was dry. Fancy being privileged to supply a baby mer- 

 maid with milk from a black bottle ! Happy Mr. Bart- 

 lett ! Perhaps he washed her too, like the keeper at the 

 Zoo, who washes his little mermaid every day. After a 

 good meal the mermaid would seem in high glee, and 

 would tumble and roll about until at length, like Bottom 

 the Weaver, she had an exposition of sleep, reposing lazily 

 and happily near the surface. Sometimes she would 

 have a game of romps with her kind nurse (oh, thrice happy 

 Mr. Bartlett !), and would overturn him into the water, 

 " where the two spluttered and floundered for possession of 

 the bottle." This poor little baby mermaid only lived just 

 long enough to reach England ; but her corpse was ably 



