VOL. XLVII."! PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 1 63 



place of abode, being for the most part inaccessible, prevent their being fami- 

 liarized to any commerce with men, except by mere chance. 



The teeth are very well preserved in the skin of the manati in the museum : 

 they are l6 in the upper, and 14 in the under jaw; and of these, 4 are between 

 the canine teeth of the upper, and 2 between those of the under jaw. They are 

 all conical from the gums ; the canine teeth are 1 in each jaw ; being an inch 

 and half long each, and of the same form with the rest ; and they all bend a little 

 backwards by a small curve in themselves. Nor have the very back teeth of all 

 the least resemblance to the molares of other animals. 



The walrus or mors, is another species of phoca, and differs very little in 

 shape and parts from the other species of this genus ; except that the 2 canine 

 teeth of the upper jaw are of a prodigious size, like the great teeth of an 

 elephant. 



There are some species of this genus of the phoca, which never grow to above 

 a foot long ; and there are of all sizes at full growth from these to the manati 

 and walrus. The skins of every species have short hair, and their colours are 

 variegated from the straw-colour and yellow to the deepest brown and black. 

 They are sometimes regularly brindled, sometimes curiously spotted ; sometimes 

 in brown clouds on a yellow ground, like that of a pied horse ; and sometime* 

 the brown or black occupies the greater part of the skin, having less of the yel- 

 low : and in short even those of the same species are as variously spotted or 

 clouded as the hounds in the same pack ; and it is probable, that in unfrequented 

 islands and countries, other species of this tribe are yet undiscovered. But it 

 must be observed, that where no other difference, but the variegation of the 

 colour, appears among them, that is, in their size, proportion, teeth, or extre- 

 mities, they are no more to be accounted different species, than cows having va- 

 rious changes in the distribution of the clouds or spots on their skins. 



In the first chapter of the second book of Lord Anson's Voyage, is described 

 an animal under the name of the sea-lion. This history may be applicable to 

 other species of phocae ; and by this description, as well as the figures exhibited 

 in the book, what are counted sea-lions, are manatis. 



Linneus ranks this genus of animals with those of his 2d order of quadrupeds : 

 and indeed with great propriety, however injudicious it may lately have been 

 thought : for though none of this tribe can use the posterior extremities to raise 

 themselves up, or stand upon them, as on legs and feet; yet they swim and 

 guide themselves in the water with them ; for which they claim the title of pal- 

 mipedes, or webbed feet ; for they have no similarity with fins. 



If it be objected, that these animals would come more naturally under his class 

 of amphibia ; we may assert, that he had 2 very good motives for ranking them 



Y 2 



