. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. ORDER SIRENIA (THE MANATEES). -I'osition—(ieiieral characteristics of the Order-Steller's Rm-TINA—Hahits- [iil)its—Uses—Teeth—Manatee—Distribution—Peculiar Mouth—Mode of Feediug- Maiiatee—Ilalitheuum and other Fossil Forms. Introductory Remarks—Mermaids Extinct— DuGONG- -Range - Story of " Patcheley," a tarn This order of the Miu-ine Miimmalia comprises only a few animals, which, however, possess a ])ecaliaj- interest to the zoologist. But two genera are now found aJive, and a thii'd genus was utterly extirpated about a century a
. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. ORDER SIRENIA (THE MANATEES). -I'osition—(ieiieral characteristics of the Order-Steller's Rm-TINA—Hahits- [iil)its—Uses—Teeth—Manatee—Distribution—Peculiar Mouth—Mode of Feediug- Maiiatee—Ilalitheuum and other Fossil Forms. Introductory Remarks—Mermaids Extinct— DuGONG- -Range - Story of " Patcheley," a tarn This order of the Miu-ine Miimmalia comprises only a few animals, which, however, possess a ])ecaliaj- interest to the zoologist. But two genera are now found aJive, and a thii'd genus was utterly extirpated about a century ago. Othei-s are only known from fossil remains. Notwith- standing the ungainly, almost positively repulsive, appearance of the living forms, they yet have a hold on the populai- imagination on accomit of theu- being the actual representatives of the famed Sirens and Mermaids of yore. The ancients, in their voyages to Eastern climes, gathered stories concerning the existence of strange creatures, half woman, half fish, chiefly frequenting the shores of Taprobane (Ceylon); and fancy, with oft-told but unchecked repetition of tales, soon lent a charm to the sujiposed beings, by confening on these searuymphs imaginary flowing tresses, and sweet dulcet voices, by whose luring wiles the unwai-y mariner was entrapped, or led to destruc- tion. Howsoever ridiculous such notions ipay now be regarded, they are, nevertheless, to be satisfac- torily explained, for the singular Dugong, with its tail, roundish head, and mammse on its Las the habit of occasionally raising half of its body perpendicularly out of the water and clasping its young to its breast. These actions have, doubtless, given a colourable pretext to all the fables of mermaids—those " missing links," which even yet our children delight in, when nar- rated in " The Little Mermaid," by the talented pen of a Hans Andersen. The Manatee or Dugong gi-oup, partly from a
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjecta, booksubjectanimals
