83 



SUBKINGDOM VEETBBBATA. 



ORDER SIRENIA. 



Trichechidae. — The Manatee, or Sea Cow of the Florida 

 coast, has, like the elephant, a short neck, dense bones, and 

 the nostril in the end of the snout. It has no hind limbs. 



Fig. ISO. 



TrwMchus numatus^ Manatee. 



and its fore limbs are flippers, with vestiges of nails on the 

 edges, enabling it to crawl on the shore. It feeds upon 

 aquatic plants, whence it is styled an " herbivorous whale." 



ORDER CETACEA. 



General Characteristics. — The Cetaceans are swim- 

 ming, carnivorous mammals. They have nostrils on the top 



Bays: " One eveninjj my horse manifested uneasinesB, at a sound which approached 

 HB while we were traveling in the thick jung-le. A turn in the road soon hroupht us to 

 a tame elephant, without an attendant. It was carrying a heavy timber which it had 

 balanced across its tusks, but the path being naiTOw, it was forced to bend its head 

 BO as to let the beam pass endways. The exertion and inconvenience led it to cry 

 Urmph 1 TJrmph ! in a dissatisfied tone, and it was this Bound which had alarmed my 

 horse. The elephant, on seeing us halt, stopped, reconnoitered uB for a moment, 

 flung down the timber, and forced itself back into the brushwood to let u« pass. As 

 my horse still hesitated, the sagacious creature pressed still further one side, repeating 

 its cry of TJnnph I in an encouraging tone, as if bidding us come on. Finally my 

 horse did so tremblingly, and when we were by, the elephant came out, lifted the 

 timber, balanced it on its tusks, and resumed its march, snorting discontentedly as 

 before." 



