460 
ZOOLOGY OF 
body beneath cream-colour, and another spot of the 
same colour on the underside of the tail. The skin is 
entirely smooth, resembling India-rubber in appearance, 
and there are short hairs scattered over it, about an 
inch apart; it is an inch thick on the back, and a 
quarter of an inch on the belly ; beneath it, is a layer 
of fat, of an inch or more in thickness, enveloping every 
part of the body, and furnishing from five to ten gallons 
of oil. 
The intestines are very voluminous. The lungs are 
two feet long, and six or seven inches wide, very cellular, 
and when blown up, much resemble a Macintosh air- 
belt. The ribs are each nearly semicircular, arching 
back from the spine, so as to form a ridge or keel in- 
side, and on the back there is a great depth of fiesh. 
The bone is excessively hard and heavy, and can scarcely 
be broken. The dung resembles that of a horse. 
The cow-fish feeds on grass on the margins of the 
rivers and lakes. It is captured either with the harpoon, 
or with strong nets, placed at the mouth of some lake, 
whence it comes at night to feed. 
Though it has very small eyes, and minute pores for 
ears, its senses are very acute; and the fishermen say 
there is no animal can hear, see, and smell better, or 
which requires greater skill and caution to capture. 
When caught, it is killed by driving a wooden plug up 
its nostrils. The Indian fills his canoe full of water, and 
sinks it beneath the body ; he then bales out the water, 
and paddles home with a load which requires a dozen 
men to move on shore. The meat is very good, and 
both for it and for the oil the animal is much sought 
