TflK .l.UA'A'/r.l.V XATURALIsr [Vol. XL 



and tmicous imMnl>raii('s of the hrad as well. 'File other senses, 

 as before mentioiieil, are iinich hvss well developed. Consider- 

 ing the manifestly slight (•apai)ilities of tlie peripheral sense organs, 



reached a high state of dcvelopmciif. in fact, the brain of the 

 (higong is not onlv relatively small ^ „ to of the weight 

 of the bodv — but as wc shall show in a later paper, it is so lowly 

 organized that only a comparatively slight degree of intelligence 

 may be presumed in this animal. A further proof of tiie stupidity 

 of the Sirenia is found particularly in their behavior towards 



may be killed and exterminated. 



Another question which we will here treat at further length 

 is that of the use of the flippers. While on the one hand it is 

 assumed fFremi<l. :0b p. .'Mb. and elsewhere) that the flippers 

 of the Sirenia are as paddles and balancing organs, on the 



plaining certain anatomical changes, that their function is that 

 of supports. In the .hmonu'. particularly in case of the specimen 

 that lav on tlu' shore, one could clearly sec that movement from 

 place to place in the water was accomplishe.l soU^v by means of 

 the caudal fin. The pectoral limbs were held motiouh-ss at the 

 sides, and directed backwards. If one cudcavoi'cd to roll the 

 dugong over on its side, it began to strike out with it> tail but 

 allowed its pectoral liml)s to renuiin where they were. Active 

 movements of the flippers for the piu-pose of locomotion on dry 

 land were not observed. 



There has been very little recorded as to the movements of 

 the dugong on dry land in general, where a use of the a{)pend- 

 ages in locomotion i> to bt- presuuu'd. Khmzingcr makes only 

 the indirect statement that in the northern part of the lied Sea 

 they are fre(|ucut in wiiUcr c.j).H-iallv in December and January, 

 and that otherwiM^ ihcv .ddom go to the land. Finsch ( :()1, p. 

 10) speaks of an account by Lcguat who was led t() Kodriquez, 

 in 1691, nuiiuly on acconnt of a dugong that was seen lying on 

 the shore. Still, in Finsch'> opinion this was a stranded animal 

 since the dugong does not voluntarily go onto the land, and more- 

 over has nothing to s(M'k there. If a dugong be captured and 



