106 MAMMALIA. 



Trichechus, Lin.* 



The Morse resembles the Seal in its limbs, and the general form of the 

 body, but differs widely from it in the teeth and head. There are no in- 

 cisors nor canini in the lower jaw, which is compressed anteriorly to pass 

 between two enormous canini or tusks, which issue from the upper one, 

 and which project downwards, being sometimes two feet long, and of a 

 proportionable thickness. The enormous size of the alveoli, requisite for 

 holding such tremendous canini, raises up the whole front of the upper jaw, 

 giving it the shape of a huge inflated jowl, the nostrils looking upwards, 

 and not terminating the muzzle. The molars are all short, obliquely 

 truncated cylinders ; there are four of them on each side, above and be- 

 low, but, at a particular age, two of the upper ones fall out. Between the 

 canini are two incisors, similar to the molars, which most authors have not 

 recognised as such, although they are implanted in the intermaxillary bone. 

 Between these again, in the young animal, are two more small pointed 

 ones. 



The stomach and intestines of the Morse are very similar to those of 

 the seal. It appears that the fucus constitutes part of its food, along with 

 animal matters. One species only is as yet ascertained, the 



Tricli. rosmarus, Lf. ; Buff. XIII. liv. ; and better. Cook, Voy. 

 III. (The Sea Cow). It inhabits the Arctic seas, surpasses the 

 largest ox in size, attains the length of twenty feet, and is covered 

 with a short yellowish hair. It is sought for on account of its oil 

 and tusks ; the ivory of which, although rough grained, is employed 

 in the arts. The skin makes excellent coach braces t. 



ORDER IV. 



MARSUPIALIA. 



So many are the singularities in the economy of the Marsupialia, or 

 pouched animals, as they are termed, which we formerly placed at the end 



* Trichechus, from Trix (hair), a name invented by Artedi for the sea cow. 



f Shaw, however, suspects, that there may be two, distinguished by the greater or 

 less size of their trunks, and by their being more or less convergent. 



X Previous to my arrangement, the Lamantins and Dugongs, much more nearly 

 allied to the Cetacea, were very properly united with the Morses. 



ranged along the shores, and the oil is afterwards put into casks. The Frenchmen 

 state that the oil which they saw prepared by the English sailors was clear, and firee 

 from that rancid odour which never can be removed almost from whale and fish oil, 

 and that it appeared to them particularly useful as a lamp oil, in consequence of 

 its sending forth no disagreeable smell, and also because a given quantity fed the 

 lamp for a longer period than the same amount of other oils used for the same pur- 

 pose. The Sea Elephants feed on cuttle fish and sea weed, and stones and gravel are 

 found in their stomachs; very commonly, too, huge calcareous concretions, which, 

 when seen by those who open them, excite astonishment as to the possibility of their 

 being contained within a cavity apparently so small. — Eng. Ed. 



