West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1880-06-19
The Manatce.

This creature is supposed to be the origi.
nal of the mermaid. IL is indeed a curious
animal For eyes il has circular apertures
which can neither remain wide open nor
shut up tight, but arr constantly contract
ing and expanding, perhaps at the will of
the manatce, though apparently of their
own motion. For nose IL has two holes with
lids, and when il rises TO the surface of the
water for breath the lids open, and whcu IL
sinks again they shut The carholcs are
too small To be seen without keen search
ing, and are simply such holes as might bc
made anywhere with gimlct. For mouth
1t has an opening with Flap over il, con
venicnt as preventing things from going
down its throat when the owner Is not hun
cry but sufficiently ugly to make the man
atee the most humble of creatures and
humble, indeed, IL looks. Having no leps. IL
stands on its tail and to keep its balance
has TO bend the head forward and bow the
body. I'm this attitude of helpless humility
the strange thing stands motionless many
minutes together, and then, with "A ghost
like dreadful solcmnity il begins slowly TO
stiiicn and stmighten its tail, and thus
gradually arising into an erect posture.
thrustS its nostrls above the surface Sut
only for an instant, for ere IL seems To have
had time TO take a breath, the great body
begins TO sink back il into ITS dispoudcnt
position, and the small padding paws drop
mouonlcss and helpless AS before The de-
libcratc sloth with which the manwuvrc is
executed has something of dignity in il,
but otherwise the manatce is as ridiculous
as II is helpless. The clumsy snout is con
stautly twitchng like rabbits, but the
gesture that seems 10 appropriate In the
nervous, vigllant little rodent is immca-
surably ludicrous in the huge monstrositv.
The eyes, again, now contracting To pins
point now expanded full To gaze at YOU
with eXprcssionless pupils, seem 10 move
10y "A mechanism beyond the creatures con
troll. Noicclcss and limLlcss, the bulky
cctaccan sways 10 and fro, the very en-
bodimont of stupid. feeble hclplcssncss. a
thing for shrmps TO mock at and limpcts to
grow on. A carcase of such proportions,
such an APPALLING contour, should, TO satisfy
aesthetic requirements possess some stu
pcndous vilany OF character should con
ceal under this inert mass of flesh some
hdeous criminal instinct. Yet this great
shapeleas being, this terror of the deep sea.
is the most innocent Of created things. Il
lives on lettuce. In its wild state IL browges
along the meadows Of the ocean bed crop-
ping the scawccd just as kline Craze upon
the pastures OF earth, inofTcnsivc and socia-
BILE, rallying as cattle do for mutual de-
fence against IA common danger placing
the calves IN the middle, while the bulls
range themselves on the threatened quar-
ter. These are the herds which the poets
make PrOteus and the sea gods tend, the
harmless beeves with whom the sad Par
tcnope shared her sorrOws These arc the
actual realities that have given rise TO 80
many pretty fiction, the dead carcasc
from which have swarmed the bees The
discovery Is disappointing enough TO those
who cherish old-world fancies; but TO
science, the lazy, uncouth manatce is a
precious thing. Science, indeed, has sell
dom had such a pleasing labor as the cx-
animation and identification Of this animal,
for, though so ludicrously simple i'm appear
ancc, the manatec is a vcritablo cuskct of
physiological wonders. II is the only crca-
turc known that has three eyclids To each
eye and two hearts. In most of its points
1t bears "A close affinity TO the elephant but
in other Of equal importance it is unmistak-
ably whale. It's teeth, bones and skin
arc all delightful studies TO the naturalisls,
and he is thankful, therefore, that the
manatee is what il IL, and not the vcritable
mermaid that less prosaic minds would
have il.