The name of Manatus is evidently derived from the Spanish word mano, a hand, or manato, furnished with hands, seeing that the creature seems to have no arms, little being seen externally but the fingers. Its length is from eighteen to twenty feet, and it is at least six feet across at the broadest part of its body, just behind the hands. Its general appearance is that of a Whale; it has no neck, nor any vestiges of hinder extremities, but it differs materially from the true Cetaceans in many points of its structure. Four of its fingers, for instance, are furnished with nails, and its tail is of an oval shape. This animal appears to live entirely upon sea-weed, nothing but the remains of various kinds of fucus having been found in its stomach. The form of its teeth corresponds with the supposition that this is its only food, and seeing that it has no incisor teeth, it must necessarily browse this kind of grass by means of its fleshy lips, which are covered with stiff hairs. The habits of the Manatee are gentle; it is even stated to be capable of being to some extent tamed. It associates with its fellows in herds, which are more or less numerous. The mother exhibits the greatest affection for her young ones, which are one or two in number; she carries them in her hands while feeding them, and her milk is said to be as sweet and well-tasted as that of a cow. The Manatee frequents the estuaries of the rivers of South America, and even sometimes ventures to ascend their streams for a short distance. Its flesh and its fat are both considered delicacies. One is said to resemble veal, the other bacon, the latter having the additional recommendation of keeping good for a long period. THE DUGONGS. The Dugongs were for some time confounded with the Walruses and Manatees, under the generic name of Trichecus, until Lacepede, perceiving their distinctive characters, separated them as a distinct race, to which he applied the name Dugong, thus trying to Latinize their native appellation. Such Latin as that, however, could not be tolerated even by Zoologists, and hence Illiger conferred upon them the more euphonious name of Halicore (daughter of the sea). Although the organization of the Dugong in its general features resembles that of the Manatee, there are important differences whereby they are clearly distinguishable. The molar teeth of the Dugong have no roots, but present merely a flat surface bordered with enamel; moreover, they are fewer than in the Manatee, and the Dugong has rudimentary incisors. The structure of the hands is likewise modified. The fingers of the Dugong have no nails, and very much resemble the flippers of ordinary Cetaceans, while the nostrils, instead of opening at the end of the snout, are approximated to the top of the head, another circumstance by which the Dugongs seem to be intermediate between the herbivorous and carnivorous forms of Whale.