532 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



Riii Kiu Islands, or farther. According to Ridley (1895, p. 165) 

 it was "tolerably common in the Strait between Johore and 

 Singapore; but one does not often see it. However, the Chinese 

 sometimes catch it in nets when fishing, and sell it in the 

 markets as food." In the Philippines it "occurs along all 

 coasts from the Batan Islands at the northern extremity" of 

 the group "to the Sibutu group east of the northern part of 

 Borneo. It is not abundant anywhere, but is well known to 

 all fishermen. It is harpooned or captured in fish corrals, but 

 is taken more accidentally than otherwise" (Herre, 1928, p. 

 1072). While there are no recent records for Chinese waters, 

 it very likely was once found on the southern coasts, for as 

 lately as 1931 one was captured near Tai-jyu-bo, on the west 

 coast of Formosa and its skull secured by Hirasaka (1932). 

 This author also adduces some interesting information on the 

 former abundance of the dugong in these seas. He adds the 

 report of two others taken the same year at Haikau, a port 

 near Koshun, and states further that many decades ago du- 

 gongs were "fairly abundant in the water[s] surrounding the 

 Ryukiu Islands and Amami-oshima . . . and were hunted 

 eagerly for flesh and oil. This hunting was carried on regularly 

 once a year by feudal lords for tribute in Aragusuku Island, 

 near Ishigakishima ... I have heard from an old fisher- 

 man that once one was caught in a large trap seine for yellow- 

 tails, off Abratsu, a port on the eastern shore of Kyushu about 

 thirty years ago. " The present condition of these animals, he 

 states, "is rather deplorable" as they are "on the point of ex- 

 tinction and are extremely rare" in these waters. However, 

 the Government of Formosa, on advice of the Committee for 

 the Preservation of Natural Monuments, "intends to forbid 

 the capture of this animal or the disturbance of its resorts." 



While the dugong seems to be mainly prized for its flesh, 

 which is said to resemble pork or bacon (or "between beef and 

 pork") and for its oil, hide, and even tusks, we learn from an 

 old work published in 1665, concerning the famous mission of 

 de Goyer and de Keyser from Batavia to Canton and Peking, 

 that the Chinese held in high esteem certain stones found in 

 the heads of these sea-cows, which they say have the property 

 of clearing the kidneys of every kind of sand and gravel and of 

 removing obstructions from the lower parts afflicted by them. 

 These "stones" were very likely the dense tympanic bones of 



