Aquatic Mammals 245 



are believed to be close relatives of the 

 elephants, and there is much in their 

 make-up that suggests an elephant-like 

 creature that might millions of years ago 

 have taken to the water to escape terres- 

 trial foes. If this surmise is correct, it 

 was a case of " out of the frying-pan, 

 etc.," for by taking to the water the 

 creature lost the use of its hind legs, met 

 a new set of foes in the form of sharks, 

 etc., and finally succumbed to the spears 

 and bullets of civilised man. Sea-cows 

 at the present day inhabit the estuaries 

 of many tropical rivers. Once they 

 flourished all over the Continent and 

 many remains have been gathered from 

 the Thames and other home waters. 

 Like the whales, these harmless creatures 

 have but one young at birth, which is 

 cuddled beneath one flapper and suckled 

 at the breasts. Looking at a stuffed 

 specimen, or rarely at a living one as 

 shown occasionally in the Zoological 



