The Encyclopedia britannica; a dictionary of arts, sciences, and general literatureWith new maps, and original American articles by eminent writersWith American revisions and additions, bringing each volume up to date . ut Storrs name Manaliis isnow generally accepted for it by zoologists. The questionof the specific distinction of the African and AmericanManatees will be treated of further on, but it will bechiefly to the latter and better known form that thefollowing description applies. The size of the Manatee has been much exaggerated, asthere is no trustworthy evidence of its attaining a
The Encyclopedia britannica; a dictionary of arts, sciences, and general literatureWith new maps, and original American articles by eminent writersWith American revisions and additions, bringing each volume up to date . ut Storrs name Manaliis isnow generally accepted for it by zoologists. The questionof the specific distinction of the African and AmericanManatees will be treated of further on, but it will bechiefly to the latter and better known form that thefollowing description applies. The size of the Manatee has been much exaggerated, asthere is no trustworthy evidence of its attaining a greaterlength than 8 or perhaps 9 feet. Its general externalform may be seen in the figure at p. 390 of the presentvolume, taken from a living example in the BrightonAquarium. The body is somewhat fish-like, but depressedand ending posteriorly in a broad flat shovel-like horizontaltail, with rounded edges. The head is of moderate size,oblong, with a blunt, truncated muzzle, and divided fromthe body by a very slight constriction or neck. The forelimbs are flattened oval paddles, placed rather low on thesides of the body, and showing externally no signs ofdivision into fingers, but with a tolerably free motion atA. flO. ^Front View of Head of American Manatee, showing the eyes,nostrils, and mouth. A, with the lobes of the upper lip divaricated ;B, with the lip contracted. From Murie, Trails. ZooL vol. si. the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints, and with threediminutive flat nails near their extremities. No traces ofhind limbs are discernible either externally oi internally;and there is no dorsal fin. The mouth is very peculiar,the tumid upper lip being cleft in the middle line into twolobes, each of which is separately movable, as will bedescribed in speaking of its maimer of feeding. Theuostrils are two semilunar valve like slits, at the apex ofthe muzzle. The eyes are very minute, placed at the sidesof the head, and with a nearly circular aperture withwrinkled margins,
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Keywords: ., bookauthorbaynesth, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookyear1892
