1889. | Mr J. W. Clark, On Rhytina gigas. 341 
and 60th parallels of north latitude. In shape it is an irregular 
triangle, of which the apex is turned towards the south-east. The 
length of the island is about 100 miles, and the greatest breadth 
about 14 miles. The seaboard, on every part of which, according 
to Steller, the Rhytina was to be found, was therefore about equal 
to the distance from the mouth of the Thames to the mouth of 
the Humber. 
He then gave a detailed account of Bering’s last voyage, from 
the origin of the expedition in 1732, to the wreck of the vessel, 
5 November, 1741; after which he read a translation of Steller’s 
account of the Manati, or Sea-cow, as he called it, from the 
paper drawn up from Steller’s notes, and communicated to the 
St Petersburg Academy in 1749, three years after his death (Nov. 
Comment. Acad. Scient, Imp. Pet. 11. 289—330). This part of the 
communication, which dealt with the habits of the animal, as well 
as with the zoological characters, was illustrated by reference to 
the observations of those who have lately had opportunities of 
studying Manatees in captivity; and to the elaborate papers by 
J. F. Brandt, whose Symbolw Sirenologice contain a full history of 
Rhytina and a comparison of it with Manatus and Halicore. 
He then discussed Steller’s measurements of the animal, taken 
from a female, killed 12 July, 1742, and exhibited a diagrammatic 
figure, drawn in accordance with his interpretation of them. 
The gradual extinction of the animal was then related. On 
Bering’s return, Russian hunters and merchants, excited by the 
prospect of obtaining large cargoes of skins of Arctic fox, sea- 
otter, and sea-lion, with which the island abounded, fitted out 
expeditions, sometimes two or three in each year, from 1743 to 
1762. These vessels, carrying on an average a crew of about 40 
men, usually wintered at Bering’s Island, “in order to procure a 
stock of salted provisions from the sea-cows and other amphibious 
animals that are found there in great abundance.” (Accownt of the 
Russian Discoveries between .Asia and America. By William 
Coxe, M.A., F.R.S. 8vo. Lond. 1786, p. 57.) In addition to the 
wintering of large bodies of men on the island, small parties of 
hunters frequently staid there all the year round, for the purpose 
of trapping. These men, in their endeavours to obtain fresh meat, 
frequently harpooned a sea-cow, but, as they were unable to drag 
the carcase on shore, the animal escaped, and died in deep water. 
In consequence of this wasteful habit the sea-cow had become 
extinct on Copper Island, a small island at no great distance from 
Bering’s Island, by 1754, when the engineer Jakoftleff, whose diary 
has fortunately been printed, found himself unable to winter there, 
on account of the scarcity of provisions, and was compelled to 
remove to Bering’s Island. On his return he memorialised the 
authorities at Karmtschatka, praying them to put a stop to this 
