Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-07-04
THE sEA-cow.
A Very Curious and Interesting Lit
tie Creature.

The principal elton" at the Zoologi-
cal gardens at the present moment Is q
sea-cow, otherwise ''mermaid, correct
| ly manatee, sc entifically Mdaiatus Aus-
trails, from Demerara. This curious and
very interesting little creature has been
an inhabitant of the gardens since March
2. during which its fame and its name
have spread abroad somewhat to the
mystiication of many. Visitors flock
to the reptile honse eagerly in
curing Tor the ''cow-fisL," the
'smermaid, the curious reptile which
is half fish and half serpent" the
s'lnan SNAKE" the ''cowserpent, but
most frequently they ''want to see the
mermaid"
The animal is difficult to keep in cap
tivity. Only one example has previous
ly been in the Geological collection, and
that survived but one month.
But MdndtRS differs Ill several remark
able particulars from others Of his class,
conspicuously so i'll its mouth, which is
large, prominent and elaborate feature,
as may easily be observed when the an
imal approaches the front of its tank,
and particularly when it is feeding. You
may then see that its thick, fieshy lips
are exceedingly mobile, even prehensile.
The upper lip is almost double, there
being pair of projecting lobes, strong
ly armed with sharp, strong brlstles,
which are in constant movement, like
brush on a swivel, and with which the
manatee grasps, sweeps and pushes into
its mouth the floating vegetable food.
The manner in which the creature uses
this pair of brushes reminds one OF
hungry, greedy child using its fingers
to push food into its mouth. because 1t
cannot eat fast enough. This young
animal is supposed to be about a year
old, and seems never to tire in the bus
mess of thus Selling and securing shreds
of lettuce leaves offered him. About
eight good lettuces day are his con-
sumption, the keeper breaking them up
and casting the fragments into the wa
ter. In addition to lettuces, and by way
of second course, he eats some two or
three roots of beet, according to their
size; these being also divided, are grasp
ed in the same manner. Where teeth
would be you can perceive hard, horny
gums, which are used to crush the food,
true teeth being only incipient. In this
extraordinary, prehensile muzzle, with
its pair of brushes above, we see mouth
especially adapted to the needs of the
animal, whose natural food is the long
slippery sea-weed and aquatic vegetation
usually swaying about by the motion OF
tho water. and not easily grasped by an
ordinary mouth. No doubt those SEN
sitiye and movable bristles also clear the
food from whatever may cling to it not
palatable to the vegetarian. One can
but be struck with the handy manner,
30 TO speak, in which they are intelli-
gently used.
Another variation from the seal and
dugong families is in the hind limbs, or
their absence rather, as they coalesce to
form the rounded otter-like tail or pad
die, used in swimming. The anterior
limbs or fins are also remarkable, being
more in the form OF hands than seals
fippers. They are longer and with
distinct elbow Joint. On the under side
of these fippers, beneath the thick skin,
the anatomy of the fingers can be easily
traced. The form and use OF these fore
limbs, so like a hand, gives the creature
its name, Ndnatee, from mdnus, hand.
lou VIII see them IN c"ubnueu anu Hoe
ungraceful action. In the adult ami
mails very short nails or claws are deyel-
open. In this young one the nails are not
visible; they may be extremely small OF
not yet grown. The nostrils are close
together on top of the head, and are
kept tightly closed by valve while
under the water; but when the manatee
rises to the surface to take a
fresh inspiration, which he does about
once minute, you may then see the
nostrils quickly opened, and in an in
slant closed again. He has no ears ap-
pnrently, no voice, no temper and but
very little intellect. But he is tractable,
gentle and not incapable of affection.
London Globe.