1900.] MAMMALS OF SIAM AND THE MALAY PENINSULA. 377 



Distribution. " Probably all tropical and temperate seas " (Blan- 

 ford). 



Dolphins are numerous on both sides of the Malay Peninsula 

 and in the Gulf of Siam. I have from time to time seen three, 

 apparently different species, but have never managed to secure 

 any specimens ; one of these is D. delphis, one a smaller species, 

 and one larger than D. delphis, with a very prominent dorsal fin. 



Local sailors report seeing a " white porpoise " at Belawan 

 Deli, on the east coast of Sumatra, and at the mouths of several 

 rivers in the Straits of Malacca. 



Order SIRENIA. 

 Family MANATiDiE. 



159. Halicoee dugong (Erxl.). The Dugong. 



Halicore indicus, Cantor, p. 66. 



Haiicore dugong, Blanf. Faun. Ind., Mamm. p. 594, fig. 196. 

 " Duyong " or " Parampuan Laut " of the Malays of the 

 Peninsula, apud Cantor. 



I have in my possession a beautifully finished pencil drawing of 

 " A young male Duyong taken in the neighbourhood of Singapore 

 in April 1837. Measuring in length from the tail to the nose on 

 the back 7 ft. 4 in. A Commander of a Portuguese ship trading to 

 China says that in Portuguese this Fish or Animal is called ' Pexi 

 Mulher' (literally Woman Fish) — he fad seen them at Palaos in 

 the Pacific. The bones of the jaws, the top of the scull and the 

 throat are mucli esteemed there, especially those of the jaws 

 which are of value and used as ornaments by the Natives, who are 

 Savages."' This note and the drawing are unsigned, but are 

 stamped " Pinang, 4 Ja. 1838, Post-Office." 



Cantor says : " The Duyong appears not to be numerous at 

 Singapore, still less so to the INorthward, and has but in few 

 instances been observed in Kwala Muda, the mouth of the river, 

 which forms the northern boundary of Province Wellesley." 



Horsheld (Cat. Mamm. Mus. East India Co. 1851, p. 139) 

 records a Dugong's skull " from Finlayson's Collection, Siam." 



Ridley (Nat. Science, vi. 1895, p. 165) says "The Dugong is 

 tolerably common in the Strait between Johore and Singapore ; 

 but one does not often see it," and gives some information about 

 it. 



Hanitsch v Rep. Raffles Libr. & Mus. 1898, p. 9) records a 

 specimen from Malacca. In July 1898 I saw one in the Raffles 

 Museum labelled Singapore. 



Mr. L. Wray told me in 1896 he believed the Dugong was not 

 found on the coast of Peiak, probably owing to the lack of sea- 

 weed 



Distribution. .Shores of the Indiau Ocean, Straits of Malacca, 

 and coasts of Borneo. 



