DE. J. MUEIE OX THE MANATEE. 45 



article being already stretched beyond my original intention leads me to forego speaking 

 of the affinities, Avhich, as already mentioned, have attracted considerable attention, the 

 more so from the recent discoveries of fossil Sirenia by Professors Owen', Van Beneden^, 

 and Flower^ On this subject I hope, in another memoir now in hand, to have more 

 to say''. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 



PLATE V. 



Attitudes of Manatee when in Tank of Aquarium. 



Fig. 1. Contour which the Manatee assumes as it rises to the surface of the water, and 



just before breathing. 

 Fig. 2. Muzzle and part of the head in three-quarter view, in the act of dilating the 



nostrils, the after portion of the body sinking. 

 Fig. 3. Appearance as descending after respia'atory effort, the body in this instance 



slightly rolled to the right. 

 Fig. 4. A view more from behind as the creature lazily turns over or affects a semi- 

 rolling movement. 

 Fig. 5. A very common attitude assumed — the body bent in complete arch, and the 



animal resting thus perfectly quiescent for a long while at a stretch. 

 Fig. 6. The body less arched by shoulders and head being higher, but tail bent acutely. 



View three quarters from behind. It rests in this position frequently, and 



quietly remains long so. 

 Fig. 7. The Manatee in mid-water perfectly motionless and dozing or sleeping. 

 Fig. 8. A very common attitude taken, viz. with body and head nearly horizontal, and 



the curved tail resting on the bottom of the tank ; such position adopted 



both when awake and dozing. 

 Fig. 9. Outstretched in sound slumber at the bottom of its tank. 



' Quart. Joum. Geol. Soc. 1875, p. 100, pi. iii. 



' BuU. de I'Acad. Koy. Belg. 1875. ^ Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. 187-1, p. 1, pi. i. 



' Quite at the last moment, while this sheet is passing through my hands, I find that Mr. Alston (vol. i. part 4, 

 p. 92, Mammals, of Salnn and Godman's ' Biologia Centrali- Americana ') refers to Prof. Flower as stating that 

 the Brighton-Aquarium specimens never rest on their taQ. Chapman's (/. c.) and the present specimens 

 certainly did ; and I myself feel satisfied, from a consideration of the animal's habit of frequenting and dozing 

 in shallow lagoons, along with a study of its tail-construction, that the curving-undor (see PI. V. fig. 8) is a 

 natural and not abnormal condition, though I am not prepared to state that every animal will revert to it when 

 in confinement. Has the tank at Brighton with constant current of water not something to do with difierence 

 of attitude ? 



