134 DE. J. MUEIE ON THE FOEM AND STEUCTUEE OF THE MANATEE. 



The above disposition strongly reminds one of the moustachial apparatus of the Walrus ; 

 but their shortness and rigidity render them unequal to perform the office of a sieve, as 

 is the case in the Pinniped : they therefore incline to the hirsute covering of the muzzle 

 of the Hippopotamus. 



3. Fatty Envelope &c. — The two animals differed considerably as regards their bodily 

 condition. The female was fat as a pig, whilst the younger male, though on the whole 

 plump, possessed rather an abundance of areolar and fibrous textures than fatty tissue. 

 In the former, immediately beneath the skin, and enveloping the whole of the body 

 and root of the tail, there existed a layer of remarkably dense fiit. This adipose 

 material, under the knife, cut not unlike bacon or solid mutton suet, being rather more 

 greasy, however, than the latter. The pectoral limbs and the anterior portion of the 

 muzzle differed from the body in being almost destitute of fatty clothing, its place 

 being supplied by fibroid tissues. On the back the fat had a thickness of l-|^inch, and at 

 one spot, behind the shoulder-blade, where the panniculus muscle becomes aponeurotic, 

 it had a depth of 2 inches. On the abdomen generally it did not exceed 1 inch thick, 

 thinning to \ an inch or so towards the vulva and anus. Still further backwards it 

 lessened by degrees, until lost in the interlacing tendinous aponeurosis forming the fiat 

 caudal expansion. In front, over the head and lower jaws, the fat likewise diminished 

 gradually, so as to leave the great nasal and mandibular muscles almost superficially free 

 from it. As referred to in my description of the muscles, and mentioned by Stannius in 

 his dissection, there was a layer of softer fat intervening between the panniculus 

 carnosus and the muscles lying beneath. In some places, chiefly the anterior half of 

 the body, this exceeded half an inch in depth ; but posteriorly it was considerably less 

 in quantity. A lump of fat covers the deep layer of fascial muscles beneath the infra- 

 orbital proc ss 



Structurally, as Vrolik justly observes, the cutaneous fat is unlike that of Cetacea in 

 possessing little or no free liquid oil ; and in consequence it more resembles that of 

 ordinary mammals. I noticed particularly in the abdominal layer a vast number of 

 minute red puncta. These appeared to be the cut extremities of vascular twigs, the 

 continuation, it might be, of the subjacent rete mirabile. 



I had the curiosity to weigh the fat taken from the outside of the body of the female, 

 and found there were 24 lb. 10 oz. This approximates closely to one ninth of the 

 total vpeight of the animal. 



Desirous of judging of the flavour of the flesh of the Manatee, I had several portions 

 of the specimen forwarded by Mr. Latimer cooked. One or two gentlemen partook of 

 it along with myself; and the unanimous opinion expressed was, that it ate excellently. 

 When broiled, the fibre appeared white and delicate, and the flavour was that of a 

 crisp, tender veal cutlet. This is en rapport with the accounts of the natives, travellers, 

 &c., who eat it freely; and, indeed, it is said the Catholic clergy in South America do 

 not object to its being used on fast days, on the supposition of its being allied to the 



