Popular ^Dictionary of "Hmmatetf $atur*. 409 



MANATUS. A genus of herbivorous 

 marine animals, familiarly called Sea Cows, 

 and usuallyassociated with the order Cetacea. 

 The body of the Manatus is of an oblong 



shape, terminated by a lengthened oval fin : 

 it generally measures six or seven feet in 

 length, but sometimes grows to an enormous 

 size ; and its paddles or fins exhibit rudi- 

 ments of nails, by the aid of which the un- 

 wieldy animal drags its body along on the 

 shore, to browse on the herbage that grows 

 on and near the banks of the great rivers to 

 which it resorts. The skin of the Manatus 

 is of a blackish colour, very tough and hard, 

 and full of inequalities, like the bark of an 

 oak ; and on it are sprinkled a few bristly 

 hairs, about an inch in length. The eyes 

 are exceedingly small in proportion to the 

 size of the animal. It has no external ears, 

 but only two orifices, scarcely large enough 

 to admit a quill ; the tongue is pointed, and 

 extremely small ; the mouth is destitute of 

 teeth, but furnished with two solid white 

 bones, extending the entire length of both 



jaws, which serve instead of grinders ; the 

 lips are double ; and near the junction of 

 the two jaws the mouth is full of white 

 tubular bristles, answering the same purpose 

 as the laminae in whales, to prevent the food 

 from issuing out with the water. The lips 

 are also thick-set with bristles, serving, in- 

 stead of teeth, to cut the strong roots of the 

 marine plants, which, floating ashore, point 

 out the vicinity of these animals. 



MANDRILL. The great blue-faced Ba- 

 boon. [See BABOON.] 



MANGO-FISH. [See POLTNEMUS.] 

 MANIS ; PANGOLIN ; or SCALY ANT- 

 EATER. The Linnaean genus Manis con- 

 sists of certain singular animals, known also 



by the name of Pangolins and Scaly Ant- 

 eaters ; and are limited to the warmest parts 

 of Asia and Africa. They resemble the Afyr- 



mecofihaga, or Hairy Ant-eaters, in having 

 a very long extensible tongue, furnished 

 with a glutinous mucus for securing their 

 insect food, and in being destitute of teeth ; 

 but differing wholly from them in the body, 

 limbs, and tail being covered with a panoply 

 of large, imbricated scales, overlapping each 

 other, after the manner of lacertine reptiles ; 

 and also in being able to roll themselves up 

 when in danger, by which their trenchant 

 scales become erect, and present a defensive 

 armour sufficient to repel the assaults of the 

 most ferocious of the_ir enemies. They are 

 quite harmless in their nature, entirely sub- 

 sist on ants, termites, &c., and differ from 

 the true Ant-eaters of South America in 

 little else than in being provided with this 

 scaly integument. They are remarkable for 

 the strength and number of their caudal 

 vertebrae ; and in a general view of the ani- 

 mal kingdom, they may be considered as 

 having the appearance of forming a kind of 

 link between the proper viviparous quadru- 

 peds and the Lizards. 



The LONG-TAILED MANIS. (Manis tetra- 

 dactyla.) This species is generally upwards 

 of two feet in length, and the tail is more 

 than twice as long as the body : the head is 

 small, the snout narrow ; the whole body, 

 except the under part, covered with broad 

 but sharp-pointed scales, which are striated 

 throughout their whole length. The legs 

 are very short ; scaled like the body ; and 

 on each of the feet are four claws, those on 

 the fore feet being stronger than those on 

 the hind. The colour of the whole animal 

 s an uniform deep brown, with a cast of 

 yellow, and a glossy surface. It is a native 

 of Africa. 



The SHORT-TAILED MANIS. (Manis pen- 

 tadnctijla.) In this species the head is small 

 as in the former, but the tail is much thicker 

 nd shorter, being not so long as the body, 

 wide at the base, gradually tapering, but 

 terminating very obtusely. The feet are 

 furnished with five toes each, those on the 

 fore feet, except the exterior one, which is 

 very small, being extremely strong. The 

 scales differ in shape from those of the pre- 

 ceding, being much larger and wider in pro- 

 portion to the body and tail : they are also 

 much harder, and so impenetrable when the 

 animal rolls itself up, that when the tiger, 

 panther, or hyaena attempts to force it. the 

 Manis remains perfectly secure, and the as- 

 sailant suffers for his temerity. The Manis 

 chiefly inhabits the most obscure parts of 



