The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-01-30

the folklore of every nation has q different
idea of the appearance of the mermaid.
The crafty Chinese and Japanese have even
manufactured IL hideOuS Semblance to
woman fish, and great painters have design
al to commit to canvas their conception of
the siren The unattractVe, mOthelly dC-
gong was the cause of it all.
The dugong forms the connecting link be
tween the real whale and the seals AID
Walruses. Like the whale the animal has no
hind feet, but a powerful horizontal tail.
Its anterior eXtremites are more tleXibly
jointed than those of the whale, and this
is distinguishing characteristic between
the two animals. The dugong is said to
have attained a length of twenty feet but
the usual length is from eight to twelve feet.
The specimen at the academy is nearly seven
feet long and has been very well preserved.
In appearance the animal resembles the
manatee or sa cow It's upper lip is large,
t runk a 81 eeeppaan cut 1T sh6rf e
When the dugonG is nursing its young
it's breasts are enlarged 50 as to be almost
human in their aspect. The nursing progress
is carried on by the mother above water.
The baby dugong is pressed against the eS-
posed breast with one of mamma dugonS's
fiipperS and in this position the animal
swims horizontally through the water, using
her remaining f1ipper to propel herself along.
Tt is this singular characteristic of the
;nima that has given rise 10 the fable OF
the mermaid
Sir James Emerson Tennent. the eminent
naturalist, says: "The rude approach to
the human outline observable in the shape
of the head of this creature, and the att-
tude of the mother while sucking her
young, holding it to her breast with one
tlipper and, while swimming with the 9TH
er, holding the head of both above water,
and, when disturbed. suddenly diving and
displaying her fish-lille fail-these, together
with her habitual demonstrations of strong
maternal Affection probably gave rise to the
fable of the mermaid"
Tenncnt traces the origin Of the myth to
the gilt-edGed tales of early Arabian sail
ors who had watched the strange antics Of
the dugong in the waters of the Mauaar.
Still another characteristic of the animal
that contributed to it's characterization in
mythology and hcraldry is the peculiarly
numan-lke plaintiVe cry which it gives
when it's young are impcriled or becomes de-
tached from its motherly but muscular hold.
According to Ruppell it with the skin
of this mammal that the Jews We're directed
to veil the temple.
The best proof that the dugOng has been
but imperfectly described by naturalists is
the contradictory accounts of it given by
scientists. Tennent says it gives no oil what
soever and the author of ''WOnderS OF the
Deep declares that 4,0GG bottles of oil have
been obtained from one dugong 1t is a sort
of marine cOsmOpOlite. for it has been found
in the northern seas, along the tropical
coasts and streams of Africa and America,
in the Red sea and the Indian ocean.
Many years ago missionaries in South
America ate the flesh of the dugong during
the lenten season. imagining that it Vas
fish. 1t is classified as a mammal, however,
so that the simple missionaries transgressed
the conditions of their fast without know
ING it. The flesh tastes very much like ham.
But the dugong is doomed to extinction.
In a FEW years according 10 the reckOninGs
of scientists, it will have disappeared en-
tirey.
Do Won Hear This. Mr.. Carnegie: