^0 SIRENIA. 



After a Spaniard had pricked it with his spear to see if its hide was as 

 thick as people said, it would never come near any one in the Spanish 

 dress. A planter in Surinam a few years ago trained a Manatee : he fed 

 it on milk and bananas ; it became quite tame, but displayed little intel- 

 ligence, and its powers of sight and hearing were weak. If its owner 

 ♦tepped into the water, it would come and snuffle at his legs as a dog 

 does, or if he sat down would climb on to his lap. It died after seven- 

 teen months of captivity. Dr. Cunningham has had, since 1867, two 

 Manatees in the Public Gardens at Rio de Janeiro, where they were 

 kept in company of some alligators and a number of waterfowl. One of 

 them became very fond of a swan, which reciprocated the attachment, 

 and they were always in company. This Manatee would eat grass out 

 of the hand, and come halfway out of the water to reach the herbage 

 which grew on the bank of the pool in which it was confined. 



Some writers raise the Florida Manatee to the dignity of a species, 

 Manatus latirostis ; it seems to be, however, only a large variety, some- 

 times measuring fifteen feet or upwards. They used to abound in 

 Tampa Bay, but are now rare. The one that was kept for some time in 

 the Central Park, New York, was of this variety. 



Columbus states that he saw three sirens dancing on the waters at 

 Saint Domingo. Their lack of beauty, however, made him think that 

 " they regretted their absence from Greece." 



The LAMANTIN, Manatus Senegalensis, found on the African coast, is 

 about eight feet long, having a conical head, round and very small eyes, 

 with the iris of a very deep blue ; a cylindrical muzzle, fleshy and thick 

 lips, horizontal tail, and thick skin of an ashy-lilac color. 



II.— GENUS HALICORE. 



The Chinese and Arabians have for centuries been acquainted with 

 this branch of the family. The old Greek writer Megasthenes speaks 

 of creatures in the Indian seas which resemble women ; an early Portu- 

 guese surgeon professes to have dissected a " mermaid" ; and the Dutch 

 traveler Valentyn describes "sea-wives"; in all of which cases one of 

 the two species of Halicore is doubtless meant. 



The DUGONG, Halicore Dugong (Plate XXX), is found in all parts of 

 the Indian Ocean, and of the seas and straits connected with it; it 



