THE DUGONG 305 



found on the coasts of Australia finds a home ; and a few 

 are peculiar to it, of which the dugong {Halicore dugong) 

 is the first that calls for notice. I say here that the 

 Australian dugong is peculiar to the Great Barrier Reef. 

 This may not be strictly correct, since I have heard of 

 specimens being found on the north and north-west coasts, 

 which are out of the reef region. But though stray 

 specimens may have been captured in the named districts, 

 I am quite sure that the reef is the real home of the 

 dugong in Australian waters. In no other part of our 

 territory has the dugong ever been a prevalent animal. 

 There it formerly dwelt in large numbers, herds of them 

 being sometimes seen which numbered hundreds. 



The dugong, the head excepted, has the shape of a 

 whale; and I consider it to be closely allied to the 

 cetaceans, the greatest difference in habit being that it is 

 a vegetarian and not an animal feeder. The head, and 

 especially the muzzle, have a bull-dog like appearance — on 

 a cursory view, at any rate ; and the neck is better defined 

 than it is in the whales, yet it is not well developed. The 

 paddles or flippers are much larger, proportionally, than 

 those of any whale ; but the animal is a slow, inactive 

 creature, of gentle disposition, and rather stationary habits. 

 It seems, unless it has been much disturbed, to haunt one 

 spot for many years, or to return to it very frequently. It 

 is known, from harpoon heads which have been found 

 buried in the flesh of some individuals, and from noted 

 marks on others that it lives at least sixty years ; and the 

 probability, deduced from its slow growth and other 

 circumstances, is that the duration of its life extends to 

 a much longer period than this. A full-grown specimen 

 is about eight feet long, and when in condition nearly 

 seven in circumference. Larger animals than this are 

 reported to have been captured, but I have not seen 

 them. 



Formerly dugongs were so fearless that they would often 

 raise their heads above the surface of the sea to stare at 

 men in a boat; but continual persecution has rendered 

 them cautious, and the few that now remain on the reef 



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