The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-07-07

maids lying among the sea grass, rolling
about aud disporting themselves. One or
them had raised her head and shoulders
out of the water and looked at him. He
was SO terrified that he had hed TO the
ship as fast as his legs could carry him
Later on the men discovered that the sup
posed mermaidS were the Australian du-
gongs, the mothers Of which constantly
hold their Young to their breasts and while
so doing look not unlike the traditional
mermaid.
The dugong is something ike porpoise
II has smooth half round body broad
fat tail and two anterior hippers which arc
short thick ana hcshy Its head has a
rounded muzzle and the mouth of the male
has projecting tusks When grown the
dugonc Is from eight 10 ten feet In length.
but II sometimes attains to rs much ~
twelve feet Ii Is sort Of a sea COW, the
animals associatlngAin herds Of from half
dozen 10 forty They swim about Ia 10
nc Colonies the females being more MI
merous than the males The mother
dugcngs cry like human beings when nuts
ing tiIeir babies, and it Is probable that Tie
dugong which posed rs a mermaid was
nursing al the time she took IN the sailor.
These dugongs are chiefly found IN the
tropical waters about the north coast. The
natives hunt them under the superlntend
enee of Euroneans. They chase them IN
bOnts or bark canoes, spcanng tho cows
With harpoons. 10 which long lines are at
tached The best place TO strike is through
the tail This causes the dugong 70 en-
tangle itself in the line. and ny means of
a second spear II is dispatched.
The blacks are very fond o. dugong iiesh.
They cook It aud eat It, boiling down the
value. bringing 6s much as 50 per gallon
/ The hides are worth about 10 cents a
pound and the large tusks Of the male
about - cents pair
The Wild Dogs of Australia.
Every Australian knows the dingo and
desplscs him This is the name Of the
Wild dog Of the country II Is found every.
where ana II is everywhere hunted II
nttacks the sheep to such an extent that
hountles are given for dineo sealps. The
animal Is sort Of a cross between a
hyena and a dog. 1t is in fact genuine
dog, hut Wild one with curious habits.
II does not bark nor growl IKE an ordinary
dog. but simply bowls. IL Is skulklhS'
sneaking animal as cunning as q FOX II
has q good scent and viii track Its prey
for milse II breeds In holes IN the ROCKS
and in hollow trees and lives on such AMI
mails as il can ind ,,
The dingo is caught by the baclAoqld
tanned and used Tor bunting. The ,rslty
hunt the dingo They have no friehools
for him and shoot him on sight stu
the sports Of Australia is dingo hndent
the dlngo being chased Just as the ana
chased In England. On the great the
ranches men are employed 70 defc win
| tOcks from these animals They ~ the
son. in1ecting strychnine into leg 3ndary
ton, which Is then hung from a br great
O tree so near the ground that thd their
] T. !
| SO later their distorted and dii was
| forms blown up by the poison fareto es'
! soon lying scattered about under Uterine
ton. mmou
Queer Australian Birds. Z this
| / Wish ! could show you some Of The
birds Of Australia. The continent hawenty
than 700 varieties, some Of Wild. lts
found nowhere else Here in the EtRopS.
museum there are scores of dlferencomes
Of parrots, some as white as snowa edu.
Of delicate pink aud others as Si tss.
| fresh blood One Of the curious feH'tt
| the wire bird which has tail shaTie- -
! ike a Tyre and another Is the sati,, M, o
I bird which builds mp a playgrourw 81.
the tree In which Us nest Is. Thess tan
grounds or assembly platforms, are. ''en I'm
times three feft IN diameter. They ,Jth
| a floor raised IN the cehter made Of stt,,i
woven together. Upon this central .asnii,5i
they hulld little bawer Of woven F"n, ,..
and decorate Il with all the beautiful roilnnNS
| they can find. They weave gay few,
of parrots and other birds among the $50
put bones and shells here and there, sa,,,
collect everything that they can 10 bea ~,
III Some bowers which have been 1oes
in the vicinity OF settlements are ornau'"t'
ed with pieces Of broken china and 81