50 MARINE AND AQUATIC TRESPASSERS. 



It also imitates the crocodile in its habits. The 

 lizards are remarkable for their singular alternations 

 between absolutely sluggish apathy and the wildest 

 excitement. Perhaps my readers may remember the 

 character of Mrs. Leslie in Lord Lytton's "My Novel." 

 The worthy lady was descended from two ancient 

 families, the Saxon Daudlers, of Daudle Place, and the 

 Norman Montfydgets, and inherited the f ' musing do- 

 nothingness of the Daudlers, and the reckless have-at- 

 everythingness of the Montfydgets." 



Now, this is exactly the reptilian character. As a 

 rule, a reptile will lie or stand for hours, without 

 moving a muscle, but, if excited, will fly about with 

 such speed that the eye can scarcely follow its move- 

 ments. It is, however, very remarkable that an aquatic 

 mammal should so closely resemble the aquatic lizard 

 of the same river, and that the two are marvellously 

 similar both in form and constitution. 



When we mention the word Siren, the reader must 

 not imagine that there is any connection between the 

 Sirens of zoology and the sweet-voiced sirens of my- 

 thology, who inveigled sailors to the shore by their 

 melody and beauty, and then treacherously devoured 

 them. The Sirens of zoology are large, unwieldy, 

 thick-skinned mammalia, which inhabit the brackish 

 waters of tidal rivers, and have not the least claim to 

 beauty of any kind. 



Like the whales, the fore limbs are modified into 

 nippers, and with their aid the animal can raise itself 

 partly out of the water, though it is not able to venture 

 entirely upon land. It has a curious habit of coming 



