THE CACHELOT WHALE. 349 



and that at Port Royal it fetched 15c?. currency 

 (= 9c?. sterling), per lb. In St. Elizabeth's at 

 the same time it was worth little or nothing. He 

 describes, on the information of a scientific friend, 

 the legs (or swimming-paws) of this animal as re- 

 sembling those of a negro that has the elephantiasis ; 

 and affirms that they are of no service to the creature 

 in swimming, but only to " gravel " up the roots of 

 some river-plants that it feeds on, and for the female 

 to secure her calves when apprehensive of any danger. 

 From the great silence and caution mentioned as 

 necessary in order to approach it, it would appear 

 that the Manatee is as timid as it is gentle. These 

 qualities, added to its playfulness and docility, its 

 love of society and care of its young, are amiable 

 traits in its character. 



CETACEA. 



Mr. Hill has favoured me with some notes on the 

 Cetacea which inhabit or visit the waters that lave 

 the coasts of these islands. The species which I have 

 already mentioned as occurring between Porto Rico 

 and Haiti was probably distinct from the Dolphin 

 alluded to in the following notes. 



THE CACHELOT WHALE. 



" The sea within this chain of islands is visited by 

 the Cachelot Whale {Physeter macrocephalus). I 

 cannot say whether they come hither yearly to sound- 

 ings, as they are observed to do on the intertropical 



