The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-07-08
The Manatee.

This creature Is supposed to be the origi
nal Of the mermaid. 1t is indeed curlou.
animal. For eyes 1t has circular apertures
which can neither remain wide opcn mol
shut up tight, but are constantly contract
ing and expanding, perhaps ut the will o
the manatee, though apparently of their
own motion. For nose 1t has two holes will
lids, and when 1t rises to the surface of tho
| water for breath the lids open, and wheu il
sinks again they shut. The carholes arc
too small to be seen without keen search
ing, and arc simply such holes as might be
made anywl cre with gimlet. For mouth
1t has an op' nj ,g with flap over it, con.
venient as preventing things from going
down its tb. oat when the owner Is not hun,
CRY, but sufficiently ugly to make the man.
atee the most humble of creatures and
humble, indeed, 1t looks. Having no legs, il
stands Oh its tail. and to keep its balance
has to bend the head forward and bow the
body. In this attitude of helpless humility
the strange thing stands motionlcss many
minutes together, and then, with a ghost
like dreadful solemIity it begins slowly to
stlffen and stmightcn its tail, and thus
gradually arising into an erect posture,
thrusts its nosrils above the surface. But
only for an instant, for ere it seems to have
had time to take BREATH the great body
begins TO sink back it into It's dispondent
position, and the small padding paws drop
motlonless and helpless rs before. The do
liberatc sloth with which the manpuvrc is
executed has something of dignity in it.,
but otherwise the manatce is US ridiculous
as 1t is helpless. The clumsy snout Is con-
stantly twitching like rabbits, but the
gesture that seems 80 appropriate in the
nervous, vigllant little rodent is immca.
surably ludicrous in the huge monstrosity.
The eyes, again, now contracting to pins
point, now expanded full to gaze at YOU
with eXprcssionlcss pupils, seem to move
by mechanism beyond the creatures con-
troll. Voicccss and limLlcss, the bulky
cetacean sways to and fro, the very en-
bodiment of stupid. feeble hclplcssncss a
thing for shrimps 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
pendous villany Of character; should con-
ceal under this inert mass of flesh some
hideous criminal instinct. Yet this great
shapeless being, this terror of the deep sea-
is the most innocent Of created things. Ii
lives on lettuce. In its wild state it browscs
along the meadows Of tho ocean bed, CROP
ping tho seawecd just rs kline Craze upon
the pastures OF earth, inotfensive and socia-
bic, rallying as cattle do for mutual de-
fence against a 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 bceves with whom the sad Par
tcnopo shared her sorrows. These are the
actual realities that have given rise to so
many u pretty fiction, tho dead carcase
from which have swarmed the bees. The
discovery is disappointing enough to those
who cherish old-world fancics; but to
science, the lazy, uncouth manatcc is a
precious thing. Science, indeed, has sell
dom had such pleasing labor as tho ex-
animation and Identification Of this animal,
for, though so ludicrously simple in appear
ancc, the manatce is vcrtabe cuslSct of
physiological wonders. 1t is the only crca-
turc known that has three cyclds to each
eye and two hearts. In most of it's points
it bears close affinity to the elephant, but
in other of equal importance it is unmistak-
ably whale. Its "tecth, bones and skin
are all delightful studies to the nat,lralists,
aud he is thankful therefore, that the
manatce is what it Is, and not the vcritablc
mermaid that less prosaic minds would
have it.