GUIANA TRICHECHUS. 245 



feet are placed at the shoulders; and beneath the 

 skin are bones for five complete toes, and exter- 

 nally are three or four nails, flat and rounded : near 

 the base of each leg, in the female, is a small 

 teat. The flesh of this animal is said to resemble 

 veal : it is, however, chiefly killed by the negroes 

 for the sake of the blubber or fat. 



GUIANA TRICHECHUS. 



Trichechus Manatus. T. subpiloms, dentibus laniariis nullis, cauda 



horizontali loco pedum posterior um. 

 Slightly hairy Trichechus, without tusks, and with a horizontal 



tail in place of hind feet. 

 Traichechus Manatus. Lin. Syst. Nat. Gmel. p. 60. 

 Guiana Manati. Pennant 2£uadr. 2. p. 297. 



This is a native of Guiana, inhabiting the larger 

 rivers as well as the sea, and grows to the length 

 of sixteen or eighteen feet : the skin is of a dark 

 brown, with scattered hairs on it. The head 

 hangs downward: the feet have five toes: the 

 body continues of nearly the same thickness al- 

 most to the tail, where it suddenly narrows : the 

 tail is flat, and of the shape of a spatula; thickest 

 in the middle, and thinner towards the edges. 



