THE MANATI* 5o9 



M. Adanson's account of the manati. 



fore-feet, that they cannot fall off. When a 

 storm of rain approaches, they leap out of the 

 water to a considerable height. 



The species of the manati is not confined to 

 the seas and rivers, of America, but exist also in 

 those of Africa. M. Adanson saw inanatis at 

 Senegal, whence he brought one of their heads, 

 and presented it to the Comte de Buffon ; at the 

 same time communicating the following descrip- 

 tion, which he made on the spot. 



" I saw many of these animals; the largest 

 was not more than eight feet long, and weighed 

 about eight hundred pounds. A female, which 

 was five feet three inches long, weighed only 

 one hundred and ninety-four pounds. They are 

 of a dark ash-colour, and have hairs scattered 

 over their bodies, very long, and like bristles s 

 The head is conical, and of a middling size, wi.th 

 respect to the bulk of the body. The eye^ are 

 round and very small; the iris of a deep blue, 

 and the pupil black. The muzzle is almost 

 cylindrical; the cheeks are nearly of an equal 

 breadth, and the lips are thick and very fleshy. 

 The tongue is of an oval form, and joined almost 

 to the end of the lower jaw. The animal has 

 two arm&, placed close to the head, which is not 

 distinguishable from the rest of the body by any 

 kind of neck, nor even any apparent shoulders. 

 The tail is horizontal, like that of the whale, and 

 is partly in the form of a baker's shovel. The 

 skin is thin on the belly, thick on the back, but 



VOL. II. NO. XV. 2 Z 



