The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1896-12-05
NORTHERN SEA COW.
A Different Animal from the Sea Cow OF
Manatee of Florida.

.Ianatee of Florida.
Many persons have seen the SKIN Vi
the sea COW owned by Uncle Dick VII
loughby, of this city. but 1t Is safe 70
saw few have ever given thought u
the character of the animal, It's moue
of existence. food and how 1t came TO
he extinct. On numbers of the lsiahos
IN the westward this curious mixture OF
mammal and fish could formerly De
found in great numbers.
Since the time of Steller the animal
life has undergone a conslueraple
change on the island. Foxes TOR, more
correctly, "fiellrackor,' Swedish ex-
isted then in unusual numbers NO.
alone did they eat up everything that
could be eaten at all which was left out
side, but they forced themselves into
houses during the day, as well as nlght,
and carried away everything they
could even articles that could be or
no use to them, such as knives, sticks
sacks shoes and socks. Frequently 1t
became necessary TO drive them away
with sticks, and at last they became
through the slyness and cunningness
with which they managed to eonsum-
mate their thieying, and the eleverhess
with which they combined their efforts
TO attain objects which they alone could
not accomplish-really dangerous, mis-
ehief-mal1ing animals for eastaways.
Since then thousands upon thousands
l. l. f,t,. htIr "a 30
Now they are so rare that during the
STAY of the curio hunting party on the
island not a single animal WAS seen.
The remaining ones are said not to have
the formerly so commonly seen black
blue coat. but the white, which is not SO
very costly. On the neghboring Cooper
island there are still considerable num-
bers of black-hlue foxes.
Steller and his travellers killed
here in 1741-42 700 sea offers. This ami
NAL, known for its very costly and fine
fur, is now entirely driven from Behring
island
| OF sea lions, which were formerly
| very numerous, but few visit this place
also, sea bears, and, finally, the mos
curious of all, the former mammalia or
Behring island, the greatsea COW, is not
altogether extinct.
Steller's sea COW took the place, in q
certain way, of the hoofed animal among
! the sea mammalia. 1t was Of a nut
/ brown color and covered with hail
/ which had grown together into an outer
hide. much like the bark of an old GAL
+ tree. Its length was, according to Stel
+ Ter, even to 35 feet. and its weight al
most 500 pounds. The head was large
neck short. hardly distinguishable, for'
+ part Of the body thick, but suddenly
{ narrowing backward. 1t had two shor
foTelegs. which terminated abruptly
f without any fingers or nails, but will
/ close gathered bristle hair; hind leg
were missing altogether. and replaced
by a tall fin, something like n whale
Teats. which We're very rich with mill
in females. had their place between thu
forelegs. The flesh and milk resembl
very much that of neat cattle; it wa
even better than the latter, according
to Steller.
The sea cows were almost constantly
occupied in feeding on those sea weed
found in abundance along the coast, il
doing which they move head and necl
as an OK. They show great gluttony
and were not disturbed in the least b,
the presence of people. 1t was possible
TO go up and even touch them withou
their being scared or seeming to min'
il. Toward each other they showed
great affection, and when one was har
pooned the others made unusual effort
to save it.
When Steller was there the animal
collected in great herds as neat cattle
grazing everywhere along the shores
A great number were killed by STEELE
and his companions. Later, the hun
for these animals was an importan
food item for those Russians who sale
from Kamtchatka to the Aleutian is
lands. Hundreds were killed yearly
and they were soon exterminated il W
except few animpls gone astray, a
that time only on lehring island.
The bones of the sea COW are no,
found lying near the water edge, bu
on a beach shelf six to ten feet higl
thickly covered with grass. They ar
usually covered with layer Of debrl
Of one to one and half feet thickness!
and in order to find them it was neces
sary to explore the ground with a bay
onet or sharp iron, as it would hav
been too laborious to dig up the Who'll
grass layer. A person very soon get
accustomed to distinguish by the SCUM
or the feeling of the bayonet whethe
he has struck against stone, a piec
of wood or a piece of bone.
In consequence of their hard, ivory
like condition the bodies are used b
the natives for sleigh-runners and 10
carvings. They are, therefore, alread
10 a great extent used up, and rare
than other bones. The bones from tn
fingers seem in most cases to be entir,
ly destroyed, and the same is the cas-
with the extreme tail parts.-Hartfor
Times.