Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-07-06

The platypl feed upon small water in
sects, shell fish, beetles and vegetable
particles. They are sometimes spoared
by the blacks, and the whites some-
tunes catch them with night lines,
WHERE THE MERMAIDs COME
FROM.
Some Of the queerest things OF this
continent are found along the coast
You can see ponguins on sOme Of the
Islands of the far south, and the big
billed pelican W common. especially I'm
the coral reefs OF Queensland There
are Nfo seals, and sort Of sea COW,
when excited great Interest some years
$50 on account Of its likeness % the
fabulous mermaid. In the first days
OF Australia a fisherman who was one
OF party collecting beche- de-mer of
North Queensland imagined he saw
some Of these wonderful creations. half
woman, hGlf-ilsh. He came running TO
the boat saying that he had seen a
party OF mermaids lying among the sea
grass, rolling about and dsp1rtlng
themselves. one % them had raised her
head ana shoulders out OF the water
and looked at him. He was 30 terri
FED that he had fled to the ship as
FAST as ms legs could carry him Later
on the men discovered that the sum
posed memaids We're the Australian
dugongs. The mothers OF which con-
stantly hold their young To their
breasts, and while so doing look not
unlike the traditional mor-Aii.
The dugong Is somewhat like q por-
pose II has smooth half round body.
a broad, fat tail and two anterior nlp-
pets which are short thick and fleshy.
Its head has rounded muzzle and the
mouth OF the male has projecting tusks
When grown the dugOng is from eight
TO ten feet In length, but Il sometimes
attains to as much as twelve feet. IL
Is a sort Of a sea cow the animals as
sooiating In herds of from half a dozen
TO forty They swim about In little
colonies. the females being more nu.
merous than the males. The mother
dugongs cry Ike human beings when
nursing their babies. and il Is probable
that the dugong which posed as mer-
maid was nursing at the time she took
Ia the sailor
These dugongs are chiefly found In
the tropical waters about the north
coast The natives hunt them under
the sunerln,endence OF Europeans.
They chase them In boats or bark ca
noes, spearing the COWS with harpoons
TO which long lines are attached. The
best place 10 strike Is through the tail
This causes the dugong 90 cntanslc
itself In the line, and by means OF a
second spear It Is dispatched.
The blacks are very fond Of dug0ng
flesh. They cook II and eat 70. boiling
down the fat for the Oh. which has
medicinal value. bringing as much as
81 per gallon The hides are worth
about 10 cents q pound. and the large
tusks of the male about Is cents pair.
THE WILD DOGS OF AUSTRALIA
Every Australian knows the dinpo
ana desplscs him. This Is the name of
the Wild dog ~ the country. Il Is
found everywhere, and II is cvery-
where hunted. II attacks the sheen tb
such an extent that bountios aro given
Tor dIngo scalps. The animal is "a sort
or q cross between a hygua and doc.
II is a fact q Conuin. dog but n wild
one with curious halls 10 does not
bark nor groWl like am ordinary dog
but simply hoWls. 10 in a skulkine
sncaking animal as cunning as fox.
IL has q good scent ana win track us
prey for miles. n breeds boz holes In
the rocks and To hollow trees ana lives
on such animals os lt con find
The dinro o. caught by the blacks
ana tanned ana used f1r hunting. The
whites hunt The dinE0. They have ro
friendship Tor him and shoot him ON
sieht one of the sports OF Australia il
tingo hunting the dinso bcInr chased
Just as the fox is chased .n Euslanl
on the great sheep ranches mon ars
employed to defend the gopEs frlm
these animals. They use poison ir.
ieciing etiychuine into a lap Of mutton
which is then hung from O. branch of "a
tree so near tha ground that ihe dlu.
goes can reach a. The result 10 hat a
day on So later their distorted and dis.
tended forms blown up BY the poison