178 LEAVES FROM THE 



Professor Owen, in a most interesting account lately 

 published,* states that the skin is almost flesh-coloured 

 round the eyelids, which defend the peculiarly situated 

 and prominent eyes, and that there is a single groove 

 or fold above the upper eyelid, and two curved grooves 

 below the lower one. At first sight, he truly says, they 

 seem devoid of eyelashes ; but on a close inspection a 

 few very short hairs may be seen on the thick rounded 

 margin of the upper lid. He further observes, that the 

 protruding movement of the eyeball from the prominent 

 socket shows an unusual proportion of the white, over 

 which large conjunctival vessels converged to the margin 



old cow and calf. When they dived I ran into the reeds, and as 

 the cow came up I shot her in the head ; she, however, got away 

 do\^Ti the river, and I lost her. The other three took away up 

 the river, and became very shy, remaining under the water for five 

 minutes at a time, and then only popping their heads up for a few 

 seconds. I accordingl}- remained quiet behind the I'eeds, in hope 

 of their dismissing their alarms. Presently the two smaller ones 

 seemed to be no longer alarmed, popping up their entire heads, 

 and remaining above water for a minute at a time ; but the third, 

 which was by far the largest, and which I thought must be a bull, 

 continued extremely shy, remaining under the water for ten 

 minutes at a time, and then just showing her face for a second, 

 making a blowing like a whale, and returning to the bottom. 



1 stood there with rifle at my shoulder, and my eye on the sight, 

 imtil I was quite tired. I thought I never should get a chance at 

 her, and had just resolved to fire at one of the smaller ones, when 

 she shoved up half her head and looked about her. I made a 

 coi-rect shot; the ball cracked loudly beljw her ear, and the huge 

 body of the sea-cow came floundering to the toji. I was enchanted; 

 she could not escape. Though not dead she had lost her senses, 

 and continued swimming round and round, sometimes beneath and 

 sometimes at the surface of the water, creating a fearful commotion.' 



The victim was afterwards secured, and ' her flesh proved most 

 excellent.' — Five Years of a Hunter's Life in the Far Interior of 

 South Africa, &c. By Roualeyn Gordon Gumming, Esq., of AltjTe. 



2 vols. 8vo. London : John Murray, Albemarle Street. Every page 

 of the book of this mighty hunter teems with moving accidents. 



* In the Annals and Magazine of Natural History for June, 1850. 



