122 NATURAL niSTORY OF AQUATIC ANIMALS. 



inches in length, of a lighter slate-colour than her companion, of more slender build and proportions. 

 Both are marked with white on the under sides of their bodies. The pair occupied a tank twelve 

 feet six inches in length by eight feet six inches in breadth, with an almost flat bottom. Temper- 

 ature of waterj about 70° F. : depth, two leet six inches in the daytime, reduced to six inches 

 at night. The water is run off daily, a fresh supply being admitted at the requisite heat from a 

 neighboring tank filled with warmed fresh water. Although the area of these quarters appear 

 somewhat limited when compared with the bulk of the animals, the Manatees seem perfectly 

 comfortable, and, being of a sluggish disposition, rarely explore the whole of their small domain. 

 Nor do they, so far as I observed, avail themselves of the shallowness of the water and, by sup- 

 porting their bodies on the tail-fin, keep their heads above the surface and avoid the constant 

 repetition of the upward movement in order to breathe the necessary air. They habitually rest 

 side by side at the bottom of the tank, with the caudal fin stretched out quite straight, and the 

 tips of the fore fins just touching the ground. 



"Thence they rise gently, often with the least perceptible movement of the tail and flapping 

 motion of the paddles, raising the upper part of the body until the head reaches the surface, when 

 the air is admitted through the nostril flap-valves, which are closely shut after the operation, and 

 the original and usual position is gently resumed. They seem generally to be compelled to rise to 

 the surface for aerial respiration every two or three minutes, but the interval between respiration 

 varies much at different times. In one quarter of an hour, during which one was carefully timed, 

 it rose nine times, at very irregular intervals. I have been informed that they occasionally remain 

 under the water for a much longer period, but have never observed them to exceed six minutes, 

 although I have timed them before and after feeding, and at all hours of the day. The respiratory 

 movement appears to be repeated almost mechanically and without effort."' 



The fact that these Manatees in confinement kept constantly beneath the surface does not 

 accord with the observations of Du Tertre, already quoted. It is probable that the air about the 

 aquarium was not sufficiently warm to induce them to float with the head out of water, as they do 

 in their native haunts. The name observer furnishes some facts of a highly important character 

 regarding the attemjjts made by the Manatees at terrestrial progression. 



"The habits of the animals in captivity, while affording occasional evidence of the ease and 

 rapidity with which they move in the water, do not furnish much support to the views of their 

 capability of habitual active progression on land. Tet it must be admitted that, supplied with a 

 sufQciency of nicely varied food, they have no inducement to leave the water, and that the con- 

 struction of their straight-walled tank precludes such efforts, as a rule. The male, however, has 

 recently been observed to make some slight attempts at terrestiial movement, turning himself 

 round and progressing a few inches when his tank was empty. With jaws and tail-fin pressed 

 closely to the ground, the body of the animal becomes arched, and is moved by a violent lateral 

 effort, aided and slightly supported by the fore-paddles, which are stretched out in a line with the 

 mouth. But the effect of these very labored efforts was not commensurate with their violence; in 

 fact, their relation to active locomotion may Tje compared to those of a man lying prone, with 

 fettered feet and elbows tied to side. Nor does the Manatee seem at all at ease out of water, as he 

 lies apparently oppressed with his own bulk, while he invariably makes oft' to the deepest corner 

 of his tank directly the water is readmitted."^ 



Abundance of the Florida Manatee. — In the great struggle for life no animal is, in a man- 

 ner, more destructive than man himself. The fierce carnivora may prey upon the more peaceful 



'Crane, Agnes, iu Proo. Zoological Society of London, 1880, jip. 456-457. 

 "ioc. cit., pp. 459, 4t)0. 



