FIRST BOOK. 
8. Instead of these, in the front part of the 
mouth there are thick hard pads, bearing short 
bristles. By means of these the sea-cow seizes 
and tears off the water-weeds on which it feeds. 
At the side, each jaw has square grinding teeth, 
for chewing the food. 
9. As the manatee breathes by lungs, at times 
it must rise above the top of the water to take in 
the air. In its manner of breathing it is thus 
like the whale, which is the largest animal in the 
world. 
THE DUCK. 
L " Quack, quack!" cries the duck. If it could 
talk to you I fancy it might say : 
Just look at my little ducklings as they swim 
with me. I did not teach them to do it. They 
knew the way to do that the moment I brought 
them to the water. 
2. Look at my feet. See how I spread them 
out in the water, to drive myself along. There 
is a skin between my toes, and that is why men 
call me ' web-footed 
3. " All swimminsj birds have webbed feet like 
mine. Have you not seen the feet of my friends, 
the geese? 
Some water-birds cannot swim as I can, but 
