246 The Under-Water World 



Gardens, one easily realises how our for- 

 bears, when first introduced to the beast, 

 conceived such fantasies as the mermaid 

 or siren. Like the whales, sea-cows are 

 richly endowed with blubber, even the 

 bones being soaked with oil, and carefully 

 cleaned skeletons set up in museums 

 may, after thirty years of exhibition, 

 develop large black patches of grease, 

 which once ensured the animal against 

 the rigours of climate. 



As previously mentioned, aquatic mam- 

 mals are nowadays represented by a few 

 score animals, but a large number may 

 be considered as almost aquatic, since 

 they only come ashore to sleep or breathe. 



The seals and sea-lions, which are re- 

 lated to the domestic dog, are especially 

 adapted to an aquatic life. The seal is 

 a dog that has undergone extraordinary 

 modifications in compliance with its 

 passion for a life afloat. A popular jest 

 maintains that people living in damp 



