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THE AMERICAN NATURALIST [Vol. XL 



pel ago. All sorts of fantastic tales are associated with the so 

 called dugongs' tears, in regard to their use as a powerful charm. 

 Brandt ('69, p. 274) speaks only of the young dugong's shed- 

 ding tears and that these were carefully gathered because they 

 aroused in the possessor an affection as strong as that of the female 

 dugong for its young. This belief was taken advantage of by 

 the German and French perfume makers in order to assure a 

 better market in Java for their perfume imported under the name 

 of "dugongs' tears," "ajer mata doejoeng" (Dexler, :0o, p. 200). 



In contrast to the senses hitherto mentioned, that of hearing 

 appears to be very well developed in the dugong. Both in the 

 water and on the land the animal seemed to be much more affected 

 by sound impressions than by those of sight. The dugong lying 

 on the beach winced considerably at a sharp squeaking sound 

 made by drawing in air between the puckered lips, as do also the 

 guinea pig and the mouse. Only after numerous and quickly 

 repeated stimuli of this sort did it remain motionless. Whether 

 its ear was acoustically over sensitive with the absence of water 

 pressure could not be determined. Nevertheless some sort of a 

 stimulating influence is within the range of possibility since the 

 meatus acusticus externus de norma transmits the pressure of 

 the water to the ear drum. Also in the great size of the ear bones 

 is seen an adaptation for hearing under water and not in the air, 

 just as in whales (Boenninghaus, :04, p. 282). Evidence for 

 keenness of hearing in the dugong is also found in Finsch's state- 

 ment to the effect that in setting out the hunting-scaffolds for 

 capturing the dugong, one must work with great care since the 

 slightest ratding of these is said to be enough to frighten the ani- 

 mals away. Also in harpooning them one must proceed with 

 absolute silence (Fairholme). Dexler 's fishermen gave the floats 

 of their nets a wedge-shaped form in order, as they claimed, to 

 obviate the slight noise produced by the waves in striking floats 

 of any other shape, and so frightening the animals away. But 

 as a matter of fact the dugongs were rather frequently captured 

 when the floats splashed loudly. 



Besides the sense of hearing, we must also accord a fairly good 

 development to that of cutaneous sensibility. The large upper 

 lip appears to be very richly provided with nerves of feeling and 



