f 



68 MAMMALIA. [Chap. T. 



which of the two was the 66 Taprobane " of antiquity. 

 Gtemma Frisius, Sebastian Munster, Julius Scaliger, 

 Ortelius and Mercator contended for the former ; 

 Salmasius, Bochart, Cluverius, and Vossius for Ceylon : 

 and the controversy did not cease till it was terminated 

 by Delisle about the beginning of the last century. 



VIII. Cetacea. — Whales are so frequently seen that 

 they have been captured within sight of Colombo, and 

 more than once their carcases, after having been flinched 

 by the whalers, have floated on shore near the light- 

 house, tainting the atmosphere within the fort by their 

 rapid decomposition. 



Of this family, one of the most remarkable animals 

 on the coast is the dugong *, a phytophagous cetacean, 

 numbers of which are attracted to the inlets, from the 

 bay of Calpentyn to Adam's Bridge, by the still water 

 and the abundance of marine algae in these parts of the 

 gulf. One which was killed at Manaar and sent to me to 

 Colombo 2 in 1847, measured upwards of seven feet in 

 length ; but specimens considerably larger have been 

 taken at Calpentyn, and their flesh is represented as 

 closely resembling veal. 



The rude approach to the human outline, observed in 

 the shape of the head of this creature, and the attitude 

 of the mother when suckling her young, clasping it to 

 her breast with one flipper, while swimming with the 

 other, holding the heads of both above water ; and when 

 disturbed, suddenly diving and displaying her fish-like 

 tail, — these, together with her habitual demonstrations 

 of strong maternal affection, probably gave rise to the 

 fable of the " mermaid and thus that earliest invention 



1 Halicore dugung, F. Cuv. Museum of the Natural History 



2 The skeleton is now in the Society of Belfast. 



