398 MANATEES 



rendering prehensile service. The name Manatee is derived 

 from manuSy a hand, on account of the hand-like con- 

 struction of the flippers, in which the bones of the four 

 fingers can be very distinctly traced. The skin, dark brown 

 or nearly black in colour, is exceedingly hard and tough. 

 Though usually only seven or eight feet in length, a twelve- 

 foot Manatee with a corresponding increase in girth is no 

 unusual occurrence. 



In various of its characteristics the Manatee somewhat 

 closely resembles the seal, notably in its nostril-shaped blow- 

 holes, its large, expressive eyes, whiskers on the muzzle, and 

 a sprinkling of hairs on the body. The teeth are practically 

 restricted to molars, for the incisors at their best are very 

 rudimentary. 



SKELETON OF THE MANATEE. 



It is said that the Manatee gave rise to the idea of the 

 mermaid. Considering that it is a supremely ugly animal, 

 one can scarcely understand it being taken for a lady of the 

 exquisite and attractive beauty that is popularly attributed 

 to the mermaid. Nevertheless, from the pose of the head 

 and the suddenness with which it pops up, at a distance on 

 a bright moonlight night perhaps it would present sufficient 

 resemblance to the human form divine to excuse the 

 generic name, Sirenia. 



It is permissible to doubt whether the mythological siren 

 by her song ever inspired ecstatic devotion in those who 

 heard her ; but it is an absolute fact that the Manatee clings 

 to but one mate, whom it will not leave even in the face of 

 death, and both parents display a corresponding fondness 

 for their young. It is said that the young are placed 



