238 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



[Pachydeiimata, 



above the eyes are black ; the head, neck, and end 

 of the tail are white ; the muzzle is elongated. The 



6 . 1—1 



dentition as follows : — Incisors, g ; canines, 



1—1 



l-l 5 



6—6 



molars, ^ — ^. Of its habits nothing definite is 



o — o 

 known. It exhales a strong musky smell. Speci- 

 mens are preserved in the Museum of the Zoological 

 Society. 



1068.— The Banxring 

 {Tupaia Javanica). The genus Tupaia, Raffles 

 (Cladobates, F. Cuvier ; Sorexglis, Diard ; Glis- 

 sorex, Desmarest ; Hyogale, Temminck), contains 

 about three species, natives of Sumatra and Java, 

 where they inhabit the forests. In their dentition 

 there is some resemblance to that of the hedgehog. 



. . 2 



The formula stands as follows -.—Incisors, £ ; ca- 



j i 7 7 



nines, - — -; molars, tt— -„. Fig. 1069 represents the 



1 — 1 o — b 



teeth : a. those of the upper jaw ; b, those of the 

 lower. The head is oblong and depressed ; the 

 snout long and attenuated ; the nostrils lateral ; the 

 eyes very large and rather prominent ; the body 

 long, slender, and covered with close fur and soft 

 hairs ; the tail is longer than the body, and com- 

 pressed ; the feet plantigrade and pentaclactyle ; the 

 toes compressed and furnished with hooked claws ; 

 the thumb is distinct, and moveable in a direction 

 opposite to the others. Fig. 1070 represents the head 

 of the Tupaia Tana of Sumatra: a, in profile ; and 

 b, as seen from above. Fig. 1071 represents the head 

 of the Banxring (Tupaia javanica) : and Fig. 1072 ; 

 a, the fore-foot ; b, the hind-foot ; in both the 

 thumb is seen distinct, especially in the hind foot. 



Dr. Horsfield (' Zoological Researches in Java ') 

 states that in the Malayan language the name of 

 Tupai is a general term for various small animals 

 which have the external form and agility of the 

 squirrel ; while each different species, agreeably to 

 the observations of the natives of the islands of the 

 Eastern Archipelago, where these animals are 

 found, is distinguished by a particular epithet. 

 Thus two small animals, which, according to Dr. 

 Horsfield's classification, belong to the genus above 

 described, are, he says, denominated Tupai Press 

 and Tupai Tana ; while several other animals be- 

 longing to the genus Sciurus are denominated 

 Tupai Jinjang, Tupai Tankrawa, &c. The same 

 author states that three species of Tupaia had been 

 discovered when he wrote, two of which are natives 

 of Sumatra, Penang, and Singapura, while the 

 third has been found exclusively in Java, where it 

 is distinguished by the name of Bangsring or Sins- 

 ring. 



The tupaias, instead of being strictly terrestrial, 

 lead, to a certain extent, the life of squirrels, having 

 all their sprightliness and activity, and much of the 

 general appearance of those animals. They are, in 

 fact, semi-arboreal insectivora, and were it not for 

 their long head and pointed snout, could scarcely 

 be distinguished, at a distance, from some of the 

 Sciuri. Their fine soft fur is of a dark red, and on 

 the tail the hair, which is long and bushy, is dis- 

 tichous, or arranged laterally, especially if viewed 

 on the under surface. Sir T. Stamford Raffles states 

 that they are decidedly diurnal, their large bright 

 eyes being suited to daylight, and that, they live 

 principal!}? on fruits, and especially that of the 

 Kayo gadis. The Banxring or Bangsring of Java is 

 lively and active. Dr. Horsfield, who met with it 

 during his researches in Java, states that in travers- 

 ing the province of Blambangan, in 1806, he dis- 

 covered it in the extensive forests which almost 

 entirely cover the eastern extremity of the island ; 

 and he thinks that its range, though it may not be 

 confined exclusively to that province, is extremely 

 limited. From the scanty information afforded by 

 the natives, it would seem that the bangsring five's 

 on trees, and "feeds on fruits and nuts;" but Dr. 

 Horsfield observes that this account must be received 

 with duelimitation, and he refers to the s}?stem of den- 

 tition as indicating that the bangsring is more adapted 

 to animal than vegetable food. Length, from ex- 

 tremity of nose to the root of the tail, six inches 

 five lines > of tail, six inches five lines. 



The fur of the bangsring is close, silky, and deli- 

 cate, with a few longer, more rigid, and darker- 

 coloured hairs dispersed throughout it. The upper 

 parts are brown, slightly diversified with grey of 

 different shades ; the lower parts dirty white, with a 

 slight, tint of greyish : the tail agrees with tbe.'upper 

 parts ; and the scapular line, which is nearly an inch 

 long, agrees with the neck. 



The Ferruginous Tupaia is a native of Sumatra, 

 and does not appear to differ essentially in its habits 

 from the Java species. Sir Stamford Raffles states 

 that a tame Tupaia ferruginea was suffered to go 

 about at perfect liberty, ranged in freedom over the 

 whole house, and never failed to present himself 

 on the breakfast and dinner table, where he partook 



of fruit and milk. Dr. Horsfield also quotes an ex- 

 tract from the ' Proceedings of the Asiatic Society,' 

 where it is stated that a living Tupaia ferruginea 

 was brought to Bengal by a medical gentleman ; it 

 ran about the house tame, but would not allow 

 itself to be caught for close inspection. Though at 

 liberty to run out of doors whenever it liked, it 

 showed no disposition to leave its quarters, and 

 evinced some attachment to the family ; for when- 

 ever strangers entered the house it showed dis- 

 quietude and made a chattering noise. It gave no 

 trouble in feeding, for it was always on the search 

 after insects, and its favourite food seemed to be 

 flies, crickets, grasshoppers, and cockroaches. Spe- 

 cimens of the three species are preserved in the 

 Museum of the Zoological Society. 



Tribe— AQUATIC PACHYDERMATA 



(The Hei-bivorous Cetacea of Cuvier).— If our 

 reader will turn to our account of the fossil Dino- 

 therium and Toxodon, p. Ill, he will find that we 

 have there alluded to the Dugong or Duvong, 

 and the Lamantin (the Aquatic Gravigrades of Blain- 

 ville), as belonging to the Pachydermatous order, 

 and as having in manners and organization little 

 relationship to the true whales, excepting in so far as 

 they are alike modified for the waters of the deep. 



In their external form, indeed, these aquatic 

 pachyderms are whale-like: there are no hinder 

 limbs, the pelvis being either rudimentary or want- 

 ing, and the fore-limbs are converted into flippers 

 or paddles : the body is continued conical till it ter- 

 minates in' a transverse or horizontal tail, consisting 

 of an expanse of cartilage covered with tendinous 

 fibres and skin, and which is the chief organ of 

 aquatic locomotion. The skin is almost naked, oily, 

 and covers a layer of subcutaneous blubber or fat ; 

 the lips are studded with thick wirybristles. Although 

 the nasal opening is placed high on the skull, the nos- 

 trils in the skin are placed at the extremity of the 

 muzzle, which is remarkably obtuse and truncate — 

 a form advantageous for the browsing habits of these 

 animals, yshich feed on submarine vegetables. The 

 eyes are protected by a membrana nictitans, arjd the 

 teats in the female's are situated just, behind the 

 roots of the flippers— two points of difference be- 

 tween these aquatics and the whales. The stomach 

 is sacculated ; the teeth present flat bruising sur- 

 faces ; there are no intercostal and intra-vertebral 

 arterial plexuses, as in the true Cetacea (Fig. 1073). 

 The bones of the skeleton are of dense texture and 

 destitute of medullary cavities; they are not loaded 

 with oil, as in the Cetacea. In the Indian Dugong 

 there are seven cervical vertebras, nineteen costal 

 vertebrae, and thirty lumbar, pelvic, and caudal. 

 In the Dugong of the Red Sea these latter vertebrae 

 amount to thirty-three ; making in all fifty-nine. 

 The number of the ribs is nineteen on each side. 

 The lower jaw is articulated to the cranium by 

 a true synovial capsule, reflected over cartila- 

 ginous surfaces, and not, as in the true Cetacea, 

 by a coarse, oily, ligamentous substance. In the 

 Lamantin or Manatee, the ribs are sixteen on 

 each side. Fig. 1074 represents the skeleton of the 

 Dugong, and Fig. 1075 that of the Manatee. They 

 may be compared together, and with the skeleton 

 of the Porpoise, Fig. 1076 (a true cetacean), with 

 advantage. 



Fig. 1077 represents the skull of the Dugong ; Fig. 

 1078, that of the Manatee. The skull of the manatee 

 may be distinguished from that of the dugong by 

 the following particulars :— The nasal bones are 

 very small, and imbedded, so to speak, in the frontal, 

 which consist of two portions advancing forwards, 

 so as to enter into the upper margin of the nasal 

 orifice, and form the ceiling of the orbits. The in- 

 termaxillary bones (a) advance far forwards, but are 

 destitute of teeth, excepting during the early stages 

 of the animal's existence ; these bones form the 

 lateral edges of the nasal orifice, which is very spa- 

 cious ; but in the living animal the bones are con- 

 tinued by a cartilaginous addition, so that the nos- 

 trils open at the end of the muzzle. The orbits are 

 situated far forwards, and their margin is very pro- 

 minent; the zygomatic arch is broad and strong; 

 the muzzle advances directly forwards with a very 

 slight gradual downward bend. The dentition of 

 the manatee (Fig. 1079) is not correctly ascertained. 

 In adult skulls eight molars on each side are usually 

 found, in others nine or ten ; and Fred. Cuvier ob- 

 serves that, as in some of the ordinary Pachyder- 

 mata, the anterior molars, worn the first, fall as the 

 posterior ones become developed, being, indeed, 

 pushed out by their advance. . 



The skull ofthe dugong (Fig. 1077) is distinguished 



by the enormous size of the intermaxillary bones, 

 a, which extend backwards as far as the middle of 

 the temporal fossae, and are bent down with a sudden 

 angle (reminding us of the beak of the flamingo) 

 over the elongated symphysis of the lower jaw. In 

 this deflected portion of each intermaxillary bone is 



lodged the root of a permanent, tusk-like, but not 

 very prominent incisor, there being two of these 

 teeth above, none below. This development and 

 shape of the intermaxillary bones throws the nasal 

 orifice higher up than in the manatee ; the lower 

 jaw is thicker, shorter, deeper, and its symphysis fits 

 the deflected portion of the intermaxillary bones. 

 In the young dugong the molars are five on each 

 side, above and below ; but the three anterior are 

 deciduous, the two last being permanent (see den- 

 tition, Fig. 1080). To those who wish to investigate 

 the anatomy of this animal we recommend a paper 

 by Professor Owen, in the ' Zool. Proceeds.' for 

 1838, p. 28. 



1081.— The Dugong 



(Halicore Bugong, F. Cuv.) ; Halicore Indicus, Des- 

 marest. This species is a native of the Indian seas, 

 being common among the islands of the Indian 

 Archipelago, and visiting also the coasts of New 

 Holland. Its favourite haunts are the mouths of 

 rivers and straits between proximate islands, where 

 the depth of water is but trifling (three or four 

 fathoms), and where, at the bottom, grows a luxu- 

 riant, pasturage of submarine algae and fuci : here 

 in calm weather may small troops be seen feeding 

 below the surface, and every now and then rising to 

 take breath. The position of the mouth, the mus- 

 cular powers and mobility of the lips garnished with 

 wiry bristles, and the short incisor tusks of the upper 

 jaw, enable these animals to seize and drag up the 

 long fronds of the subaquatic vegetables which 

 constitute their nourishment. 



The dugong is in high esteem as an article of 

 food, its flesh being tender and not unlike beef; 

 hence it is hunted assiduously by the Malays, who 

 attack the animal with harpoons, in the manage- 

 ment of which they are. very dexterous. 



The mutual affection of the male and female is 

 very great, and the latter is devoted to her offspring. 

 If a dugong be. killed, the. survvvor of the pair, care- 

 Jess of danger, follows after the boat, carrying the 

 body, impelled by an overmastering passion, and 

 thus often shares the fate of its partner; indeed, if 

 one be taken, the other is an easy prize. 



The dugong attains to the length of seven or eight 

 feet ; its caudal paddle is crescent-shaped ; the large 

 thick upper lip hangs over the lower; the skin of 

 the body is thinly set, with very short prickly bris- 

 tles ; the anterior limbs, or flippers, are destitute of 

 nails. The ventricles of the heart are not united 

 together, but form as it were two distinct hearts 

 joined at the top : this separation of the ventricles 

 does not alter the routine of the circulation. The 

 eyes are very small. 



An allied species (Halicore Tabernaculi) has been 

 discovered by MM. Ehrenberg and Riippell in the 

 Red Sea. 



1082. — The Manatee, ok Lamantin 



(Manatus Americanos ; Trichecus Manatus, Linn.). 

 The American manatee inhabits the embouchure of 

 the Amazon, Orinoko, and other rivers of Soutn 

 America, and feeds upon subaquatic herbage. Its 

 flippers exhibit rudiments of nails, and by their aid 

 it sometimes drags its unwieldy body on shore, and 

 crawls up the banks, either to bask in the sun or 

 seek for terrestrial vegetables. The males and 

 females are mutually attached to each other, and 

 the latter are tenderly devoted to their young, which 

 soon after birth they carry under their flippers where 

 the teats are seated. This species measures from 

 six to seven feet in length ; the head is small, the 

 muzzle thick and fleshy, presenting at its extremity 

 a semicircular disc, at the upper part of which are 

 the nostrils, semicircular orifices, directed forwards. 

 The eyes are small ; the aperture of the auditory 

 canal almost imperceptible. From the shoulders 

 the body gradually diminishes, and terminates in a 

 flat, horizontal, oval paddle. 



A distinct species (Manatus Senegalensis, Desm.) 

 is found in the embouchure of the Senegal and other 

 rivers of Western Africa ; its manners resemble 

 those of the preceding, but we have no very precise 

 details. 



According to Dr. Harlan, a distinct species ot 

 manatee, which he terms Manatus latirostris, inhabits 

 the shores of some parts of North America. 



1 083. — Zeuglodon. 



The fossil teeth here represented were discovered 

 by Dr. Harlan in America, and attributed by him 

 to an extinct reptile, which he termed Basilosaurus. 

 Professor Owen, however, proves them to belong to 

 an extinct animal referable to the present tribe, and 

 allied to the manatee and dugong : and for this ani- 

 mal he has proposed the name of Zeuglodon, a word 

 suggested by the form of the posterior molars, which 

 resemble two teeth tied or yoked together. a, re- 

 presents the cut surface of one of these teeth, each 

 part exhibiting a central pulp cavity, aud concentric 



i striae of growth. For minute details see 'Mag Nat 



\ Hist.' May, 1839, p. 209. 



