i8o WHALE-TAILED MANATL 



approach the fhores, and are fo tame as to fufFer themfelves to be 

 ftroked : if they are roughly treated, they move towards the fea ; 

 but foon forget the injury, and return. 



They live in families near one another: each confifts of a male and 

 female, a half-grown young, and a new-born one. The families 

 often unite, fo as to form vaft droves. They are monogamous. 

 They bring forth a fingle young, but have no particular time of par- 

 turition ; but chiefly, as Steller imagines, about autumn. 



They are mod innocent and harmlefs in their manners, and moft 

 ftrongly attached to one another. When one is hooked, the v/hole 

 herd will attempt its refcue : fome will ftrive to overfet the boat, by 

 going beneath it ; others will fling themfelves on the rope of the 

 hook and prefs it down, in order to break it ; and others again will 

 make the utmoft efforts to force the inftrument out of its wounded 

 companion. 



Their conjugal affeftion is mofl: exemplary : a male, after ufing 

 all its endeavours to releafe its mate which had been ftruck, purfued 

 it to the very edge of the water j no blows could force it away. As 

 long as the deceafed female continued in the water, he perfifted in 

 his attendance ; and even for three days after flie was drawn on fhore, 

 and even cut up and carried away, was obferved to remain, as if in 

 expectation of her return. 



They are moft voracious creatures, and feed with their head under 

 water, quite inattentive of the boats, or any thing that pafles about 

 them ; moving and fwimming gently after one another, with 

 much of their back above water. A fpecies of loufe harbours in the 

 roughnefs of their coats, which the Gulls pick out, fitting on them as 

 Crows do on Hogs and Sheep. Every now and then they lift their 

 nofe out of the water to take breath, and make a noife like the fnort- 

 ing of Horfes. When the tide retires, they fwim away along with 

 it ; but fometimes the young are left afhore till the return of the 

 water : otherwife they never quit that element : fo that in nature, as 

 well as form, they approach the cetaceous animals, and are the link 

 between Seals and them. 



They 



