XV.] 
WHEN DID THE RHYTJNA DIE OUT ? 
277 
in two, and the two pieces thus obtained had gone to make a 
haydar twenty feet long, seven and a half feet broad, and three 
feet deep. After that time no sea-cows had been killed.” 
There is evidence, however, that a sea-cow had been seen 
at the island still later. Two creoles, Feodor Mertchenin and 
Stepnoff, stated, that about twenty-five years ago at Tolstoj-mys, 
on the east side of the island, they had seen an animal unknown 
to them which was very thick before, but grew smaller behind, 
had small fore-feet, and appeared with a length of about fifteen 
feet above water, now raising itself up, now lowering itself. 
The animal “blew,” not through blowholes, but through the 
mouth, which was somewhat drawn out. It was brown in 
colour with some lighter spots. A back fin was wanting, but 
when the animal raised itself it was possible, on account of its 
great leanness, to see its backbone projecting. I instituted a 
through examination of both my informants. Their accounts 
agreed completely, and appeared to have claims to be regarded as 
trustworthy. That the animal which they saw was actually a 
sea-cow, is clearly proved both by the description of the animal’s 
form and way of pasturing in the water, and by the account 
of the way in which it breathed, its colour, and leanness. In 
AusfurlicJie Beschreibung von sonclerharen MeertMeren, Steller 
says, p. 97, “ While they pasture, they raise every fourth or fifth 
minute their nose from the water in order to blow out air and 
a little water; ” p. 98, “ During winter they are so lean that 
it is possible to count their vertebrae and ribs; ” and p. 54, 
“Some sea-cows have pretty large white spots and streaks, 
so that they have a spotted appearance.” As these natives 
had no knowledge of Steller’s description of the animal, it 
is impossible that their statement can be false. The death- 
year of the Rhytina race must therefore be altered at least 
account I inquired whether there were not to be found remaining on the 
island any very old sea-cow skins that had been used for haydars, but the 
answer unfortunately was in the negative. 
