3-2« 



VEIITEHIiATE ANIMALS. 



body, and there is a tolerably lUstiiict i]eck. They are vegetable- 

 eaters, feedini;- chiefly u|)on sea- weeds, ami haunting the months 

 of rivers and cstu iries, anil ;i(inictiuies ranging hvnidreds of miles 

 inland. 



The only existing Siivnia are the Manatees {.Uaiminx) and the 

 Dngongs {Ihdicorc), often called "Sea-cows." The Manatees (tig. 

 2.33) are fouml on the east coast of America and oil the west co;ist 

 of Africa. Thev are large awkward animals, attaining a length of 

 from eight to ten or fifteen feet, and their flesh is said to lie very pal- 

 atable and Avholesome. The Dngongs differ little in ajjjiearance and 

 habits from the IManatecs. They are found on the coasts of the 



Fig. 2:'.I. — Sircriia, Ske^etnn nf the Man.ntee (I^lfniatvs Amrricajtvs), 



Indian Ocean and the north coast of Anstralia, ami are often killed 

 and eaten. The}' attain a length of from eighteen to twenty feet. 

 The bones of the skeleton are reniarkalile for their extreme hard- 

 ness and densit)'. 



Besides these living forms, the Sirenia were rejiresented by a 

 gigantic sjiecies which formerly inhabited Behring Island on the 

 coast of Kanitchatka. This .animal w.as described by M. Steller 

 who accompanied Piehring on his second expiedition, and lie named 

 it RhijtiiiM. This enormiais animal attained a length of twenty-five 

 feet, and a circumference of twenty feet, and it ap])ears to liaA-e 

 been comjiletely exterminated, Jio specimen having been seen for 

 more than a century. 



Order V. Cetace.\. 



This oriler comprises the Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises, and 

 it is characterised by the comjilete adaptation of its meml.iers to a 

 watery life. The body (tig. 23"i) is comjiletely fi.sli-like in form, 

 tlie fore-limbs are converted into swimming jiaildle.s, and the hind- 

 limbs .'ire c{>iiiph'tely wanting ; whilst the hinder end of the body 

 forms an extremely iiowerful, liori;;ontal cjiuilal fin. Sometimes 



