244 ROUND-TAILED TRICHECHUS. 



flesh is coarser than beef, and will not soon pu- 

 trify: the young ones taste like veal: the skin is 

 used for shoes, and for covering the sides of boats. 

 The Russians call this animal Morskaia korowa or 

 Sea Cow, and Kapustnik or Eater of Herbs. 



ROUND-TAILED TRICHECHUS. 



Trichechus Australis. T. pilosus, cauda horizontal} loco pedum pa- 



teriorum. 

 Hairy Trichechus, with a horizontal tail in place of hind feet. 

 Trichechus Australis. Far. and T. Manati. Lin. Syst. Nat. 



Gmel. p. 60. 

 Hound- tailed Manati. Pennant Quadr. 2. p. 296. 



This species grows to the length of fourteen or 

 fifteen feet, and is found in the rivers of Africa; 

 particularly in the river Senegal. A complete 

 specimen occurs in the Leverian Museum, and 

 is about six feet and a half long, and about three 

 feet eight inches in circumference in the thickest 

 part of the body; and in the thinnest part or near 

 the tail about two feet two inches. 



In this species the lips are thick ; the eyes as 

 small as peas; and there are two very small ori- 

 fices in the place of ears: in each jaw on each side 

 are nine grinding teeth; in all thirty-six: the neck 

 is short and thicker than the head : the greatest 

 thickness of the body is about the shoulders, from 

 whence it gradually tapers to the tail, which is 

 horizontal, broad, thickest in the middle, grow- 

 ing thinner to the edges, and quite round. The 



