292 The Sirenia. [ May, 
the Cetacea, and they are now generally regarded as.an indepen- 
dent order, known as Sirenia, allied more closely with the Ungulates 
- than with any other living mammals ; they—the vegetable eaters 
of the sea—being doubtless descended from some form of ter- 
restrial Herbivora, as the Seals, Whales, etc.—the aquatic 
Carnivores—probably claim parentage among the terrestrial Car- 
nivora. 
The earliest Sirenian known to Paleontology is the Ha/itherium, 
found in the Miocene formation of Central and Southern Europe. 
Those now existing are separated into two genera, —Manatus and 
Halicore, and, generally speaking, there is a strong resemblance 
between all members of the group. 
They all possess a cylindrical body tapering towards each end 
from a point just in advance of the middle; the tail is flat and 
horizontal ; the hind limbs are entirely wanting ; the fore limbs are 
placed far forward on the breast and are covered with integument 
like the rest of the body; the nipples are two in number, and, as 
in the human species, are situated on the breast; the neck is thick 
and is not separated by a well drawn line of demarcation from 
either the head or the body; the head is rather small and round, 
the lips being thick and fleshy; the eyes are round and of small size 
and the nostrils, situated on top of the extreme end of the snout, are 
closed witha valve ; the presence of an ear is only to be recognized 
by a sort of crease in the skin; the hide, in appearance and tough- 
ness, much resembles galvanized rubber and is covered very scant- 
ily with stiff bristles an inch or two long, these are so sparsely 
scattered, however, that it requires a close inspection, almost, to 
see that they are there,—around the lips and mouth they are 
longer and more plenty and are deserving almost of the name of 
whiskers. In these characters all the Sirenians agree. 
The two genera composing the order are, however, recogniza- 
ble at a glance, and the species into which they are divided, 
though closely allied, yet present characters which are held to 
be sufficiently distinctive for the recognition of two species of 
dugong and three of manatee. 
The one genus, Manatus, is found altogether in the waters of 
the Atlantic Ocean, with the single exception of a small part 9 
the East coast of Africa, north of the Cape of Good Hope, while 
the other genus, Halicore, is strictly confined to the South Pacific 
and Indian Oceans. No species are found in the Northern 
