58 



THE AMERICAN NATURALIST [Vol. XL 



excreta of Trichcclius senegalcnsis appear greenish brown and 

 rather formless, and that they are usually seen in the water only. 

 Brandt's description agrees with neither the dugong nor the man- 

 atee. The urine of the dugong is clear as water. 



Unfortunately no exact observations could be gathered as to 

 the temperature of the dugong. The captured specimen, when 

 brought out on land grew remarkably cool. The rectum showed 

 a temperature of 19° C. Immediately after its death the ther- 

 mometer was thrust into a cut made towards the base of the heart. 

 The dark red blood, laden with carbon dioxide, that gushed forth 

 had a temperature of 17° C. One can therefore hardly express 

 an opinion as to the normal temperature of the dugong, espe- 

 cially as the temperature of the air (taken by whirling the ther- 

 mometer under a clouded sky) was from 12° to 18° C, and the 

 animal had lain motionless for 48 hours. In addition the heavy 

 body, weighing some 192 kilograms, pressed the easily fixed 

 sternum hard against the heart, whereby the activity of the lat- 

 ter, the blood circulation, and consecjuently the body temperature 

 must have been very much disturbed. The markiMl increase in 

 the interval between breathings is also evidence for this. The 

 beating of the heart could not be detected either by its |):il|)itaii()n 

 or by auscultation. This dugong impressed one as an animal 

 that had become cooled off, and who^*- tcinpcratin-c (■(»ii(hti«Hi> 

 (irrespective of its abnormal position on the ^hoiT, ainl ihc un- 

 usual pressure) were so sensibly disturbed thai it ha<l li\c.l only 

 a short time after being taken from tlie water. Mofeo\er, obscr- 



always changes in temperature are the c-ause of the sickness and 

 death of the animals (Chapman, 75, p. 401; Miu-ie, '80, p. 23; 

 Crane, '81, p. 400). 



No voice or |)rodiiction of a sound on the part of tlie dugong 

 couhl be detected beyond the l)lowing already mentioned, that 

 accompanies exhalati(Hi ati.I inhalation an<l it i. Mu.ilar to that of 

 the dolphin.s. Fin^eh leave, the .|ii.-tion ..pen to \xheilier or 



cry frequently repeated on the part of tlie young (Brandt, '()9, 

 p. 235). However, lirandt thought all these sounds were pro- 



