[ 122 ] 
“ having only two fins near the head, like wings, 
“ fixteen inches long, fupplying the places of arms 
<£ or legs. He only ftretches his head out of the 
<£ water to reach the grafs. This, which I drew, 
tf was female, and was about feven feet and half 
(c long ; its greateft thicknefs being but two feet. 
u I have fince feen of thefe much larger. The 
<£ eyes of this animal bear no proportion with the 
<c fize of the body ; they are round, and are but 
<c three lines in diameter. The openings of the 
“ ears are yet lefs, appearing like pin-holes. Some 
“ have thought this fifh was peculiar to the River 
<c of the Amazons ; but it is as common in the 
tc Orinoque ; and is found alfo in the Oyapoc, 
and many other rivers about Cayenne, and the 
“ coafts of Gnyane, and elfewhere. This is what 
** is call’d Lamentin, at Cayenne, and in tire French 
ct iflands of America , but I believe it a fpecies a 
,c little different. It never is feen out at feaj and 
<r it very rarely is at the mouths of rivers ; but we 
<c find it above a thoufand leagues from the fea in 
“ moftof the great rivers, that fall into that of the 
t{ Amazons, as in the Guallaga, the Paflaga, &V.” 
Whoever confiders this ingenious author’s accu- 
rate account of this animal will eafily, and with 
great propriety, be able to range it with one of the 
fpecies in our account above. 
XVI, 
