THE MANATI.-We come, in the last place, to an animal that terminates the boundary between quadrupeds and fishes. Instead of a creature preying among the deeps, and retiring upon land for repose or refreshment, we have here an animal that never leaves the water, and is enabled to live only there.

The Manati is somewhat shaped in the head and the body like the seal; it has also the fore legs or hands pretty much in the same manner, short and webbed, but with four claws only: these also are shorter in proportion than in the former animal, and placed nearer the head; so that they can scarcely assist its motions upon land. But it is in the hinder parts that it chiefly differs from all others of the seal kind; for the tail is perfectly that of a fish, being spread out broad like a fan, and wanting even the vestiges of those bones which make the legs and feet in others of its kind. The largest of these are about twenty-six feet in length; the skin is blackish, very tough and hard; when cut, as black as ebony; and there are a few hairs scattered, like bristles, of about an inch long. The eyes are very small, in proportion to the animal's head; and the ear-holes, for it has no external ears, are so narrow as scarce to admit a pin's head. The tongue is so short, that some have pretended it has none at all; and the teeth are composed only of two solid white bones, running the whole length of both jaws, and formed merely for chewing, and not tearing its vegetable food. The female has breasts placed forward, like those of a woman; and she brings forth but one at a time: this she holds with her paws to her bosom ; there it sticks, and accompanies her wherever she goes.

This animal can scarcely be called amphibious, as it never entirely leaves the water, only advancing the head out of the stream, to reach the grass on the river sides. Its food is entirely upon vegetables; and, therefore, it is never found far in the open sea, but chiefly in the large rivers of South America; and often above two thousand miles from the ocean. It is also found in the seas near Kamtschatka, and feeds upon the weeds that grow near the shore. There are likewise level greens at the bottom of some of the Indian bays, and there the manatees are harmlessly seen grazing among turtles and other crustaceous fishes, neither giving nor fearing any disturbance. These animals, when unmolested, keep together in large companies, and surround their young ones.(g) They bring forth most commonly in autumn: and it is supposed they go with young eighteen months, for the time of generation is in spring.

The manati has no voice nor cry, for the only noise it makes, is by fetching its breath. Its internal parts somewhat resemble those of a horse; its intestines being longer, in proportion than those of any other creature, the horse only excepted.

The fat of the manati, which lies under the skin, when exposed to the sun, has a fine smell and taste, and far exceeds the fat of any sea animal; it has this peculiar property, that the heat of the sun will not spoil it, nor make it grow rancid; its taste is like the oil of sweet almonds; and it will serve very well, in all cases, instead of butter: any quantity may be taken inwardly with safety, for it has no other effect than keeping the body open. The fat of the tail is of a harder consistence; and, when boiled, is more delicate than the former. The lean is like beef, but more red; and may be kept a long while, in the hottest days, without tainting. It takes up a long time in boiling; and, when done, eats like beef. The fat of the young ones is like pork; the lean is like veal; and, upon the whole, it is very probable that this animal's flesh somewhat resembles that of turtle; since they are fed in the same element, and upon the

A moderate sized tusk weighs three pounds; and a common morse will furnish half a ton of oil. When one of these animals is encountered on the ice or in the water, the hunters strike him with a strong harpoon, made expressly for the purpose, which will often glide harmlessly over his thick and hard skin. When it penetrates, the animal is drawn

towards the vessel with a cable, and then killed with a lance peculiarly formed. He is then dragged to the nearest land, or flat iceberg. They then flay him, throw away the skin, separate the two tusks from the head, or simply cut the head off, cut out the fat, and carry it to the vessel.- ZORGDRAGER'S TRAvels.

(g) Acta Petropolitana.

very same food. The turtle is a delicacy well known among us: our luxuries are not as yet sufficiently heightened to introduce the manati; which, if it could be brought over, might singly suffice for a whole corporation.

THE PLATYPUS.-Of all the treasures in natural history with which the new world is gra

ordinary in its conformation; exhibiting the perfect resemblance of the beak of a duck, engrafted on the head of the quadruped. So accurate is the similitude that, at first view, it naturally excites the idea of some deceptive preparation by artificial means: the very epidermis, proportion, seratures, manner of opening, and other particulars of the beak of a shoveller, or the broad-billed species of duck, presenting themselves to the view; nor is it without the most minute and rigid examination, that we can persuade ourselves of its being the real beak or snout of a quadruped. The body is depressed, and has some resemblance to that of an otter in miniature; it is covered with a very thick, soft, and beaver-like fur; and is of a moderately dark brown above, and of a somewhat ferruginous white beneath; the head is flattish, and rather small than large; the mouth or snout, as before observed, so exactly resembles that of some broad-billed species of duck, that it might be mistaken for such; round the base is a flat circular membrane, somewhat deeper or wider below than above, viz. below near the fifth of an inch, and above an eighth. The tail is flat, furry like the body, rather short and obtuse, with an almost bifid termination: it is broader at the base, and gradually lessens to the tip, and is about three inches in length; its colour is similar to that of the body. The length of the whole animal, from the tip of the beak to that of the tail, is thirteen inches; of the beak an inch and a half; the legs are very short, terminating in a broad web, which on the fore feet extend to a considerable distance beyond the claws, but on the hind feet reaches no farther than the roots of the claws. On the fore feet are five claws, straight, strong, and sharp pointed; the two exterior ones somewhat shorter than the three middle ones. On the hind feet are six claws, longer and more inclined to a curved form than those of the fore feet; the exterior toe and claw are considerably shorter than the four middle ones. All the legs are hairy above; the fore feet are naked both above and below; but the hind feet are hairy above and naked below. The nostrils are small and round, and are situated about a quarter of an inch from the tip of the bill, and are about the eighth of an inch distant from each other. There is no appearance of teeth; the palate is removed, but seems to have resembled that of a duck; the tongue also is wanting in the specimen. There are no external ears; the auditory foramina are placed about half an inch beyond the eyes. On the upper part of the head, on each side, a little beyond the beak, are situated

two small oval spots, in the lower parts of which are imbedded the eyes, or parts of vision.

When we consider the general form of the animal, and particularly its bill and webbed feet, we shall readily perceive that it must be a resident in watery situations; that it has the habit of digging or burrowing in the banks of rivers, or under ground; and that its food consists of aquatic plants and insects. This quadruped verifies in a most striking manner the observation of Buffon, "that whatever was possible for nature to produce has actually been produced."*

* HABITS AND ECONOMY OF THE ORNITHORHYNCHUS.—In an account of the habits of this creature by a gentleman who has had many opportunities of investigating them, and which was lately read before the Meeting of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society, we are informed that the spot

it chooses for its burrow is the bank of a river" where the water is deep and sluggish, and the bank precipitous and covered with reeds, or overhung with trees. Considerably below the stream's surface is the main entrance to a narrow passage, which leads directly into the bank bearing away from the river at a right angle to it, and gradually rising above its highest water-mark. At the distance of some few yards from the river's edge, this passage branches into two others, which, describing each a circular course to the right and left, unite again in the nest itself, which is a roomy excavation lined with leaves and moss, and situated seldom more than twelve yards from the water, or less than two feet beneath the surface of the earth." Here it brings up its young, safe in its inaccessible retreat from the eyes of the curious.

Similar as is the ornithorhynchus in many points of its outward structure to the bird, it also exhibits certain analogies in its internal conformation. Without entering into anatomical details, we may state that it is yet a matter of doubt whether or not it produces eggs, from which its young are afterwards hatched. That it does not produce its young as mammiferous animals in general is universally allowed; but whether it be truly oviparous, (that is, producing eggs which are afterwards hatched,) or ovoviviparous, (that is, producing eggs which are hatched before exclusion, as is the case with the common viper, Vipera Berus, DAUD,) is yet a disputed point. In a communication from Lieut. Maule to the committee above alluded to, and read at a subsequent meeting, that gentleman states, that in several nests, with labour and difficulty discovered, "no eggs were found in a perfect state, but pieces resembling egg. shell were picked out of the debris of the nest. In several female platypi which we shot, eggs were found of the size of a large musket-ball and downwards, imperfectly forined however, that is, without the hard outer shell."...." An old female, which lived two weeks in captivity with a young one, being killed by accident on the fourteenth day after

her capture, and being skinned while yet warm, it was observed that milk oozed through the fur on the stomach, though no teats were visible on the most minute inspection; but on proceeding with the operation, two canals were discovered containing milk, and leading to a large glandular apparatus."

These canals, however, as has been recently ascertained by minute dissection, are not single; but on each side there is a bundle of small capillary tubes, united so as to form a short cord; these fine tubes open in a dark coloured circle on the skin, but which is covered by the fur, the glandular mass from which they proceed being of large size, compressed, extending nearly the whole length of the body, and lying immediately beneath the skin. From the collective evidence we have been able to obtain, as well as from some circumstances connected with its anatomy, we are strongly disposed to believe that the ornithorhynchus is ovoviviparous, or, in other words, that the young are indeed hatched from eggs, but hatched before their birth, when they are extremely small, and that their nutriment is the fluid prepared in the large mammary gland, and which the mother has most probably the means of instilling into the mouth of its helpless offspring. Such is the mystery which yet hangs over this extraordinary creature; an animal which seems as if expressly made to show how multiform and inexhaustible are the resources of the almighty Creator; nor can we help remarking, that it appears to form a link between the more perfect mammalia and the feathered race, uniting the forms and characters of each in its own structure, so as to be in truth a paradox.-RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY's NaTURAL HISTORY.

ORNITHORHYNCHI. September 11-Dr. Weatherhead communicated to the Committee several extracts from a letter which he had recently received from Lieutenant the Honourable Lauderdale Maule, of the 39th Regiment, now in New South Wales. They refered to the habits and economy of the Ornithorhynchi.

"During the spring of 1831," writes Lieutenant Maule, "being detached in the inte rior of New South Wales, I was at some pains to discover the truths of the generally accepted belief, namely, that the female 'latypus lays eggs, and suckles its young.

'By the care of a soldier of the 39th Regi

ment, who was stationed at a post on the Fish River, a mountain stream abounding with Platypi, several nests of this shy and extraordinary animal were discovered.

"The Platypus burrows in the banks of rivers, choosing generally a spot where the water is deep and sluggish, and the bank precipitous, and covered with reeds, or overhung by trees. Considerably beneath the level of the stream's surface is the main entrance to a narrow passage, which leads directly into the bank, bearing away from the river, (at a right angle to it,) and gradually rising above its highest watermark. At the distance of some few yards from the river's edge, this passage branches into two others, which, describing each a circular course to the right and left, unite again in the nest itself, which is a roomy excavation, lined with leaves and moss, and situated seldom more than twelve yards from the water, or less than two feet beneath the surface of the earth. Several of their nests were, with considerable labour and difficulty, discovered. No eggs were found in a perfect state, but pieces of a substance resembling egg-shell were picked out of the debris of the nest. In the insides of several female Platypi which were shot, eggs were found of the size of a large musket ball, and downwards, imperfectly formed, however, i. e. without the hard outer shell, which prevented their preservation."

In another part of his letter, Mr. Maule states, that in one of the nests he was fortunate enough to secure an old female, and two The female lived for about two young. weeks on worms and bread and milk, being abundantly supplied with water, and supported her young, as it was supposed by similar means. She was killed by accident on the fourteenth day after her capture, and on skinning her while yet warm, it was observed that milk oozed through the fur on the stomach, although no teats were visible, on the most minute inspection; but on proceeding with the operation, two teats or canals were discovered, both of which contained milk.

The body of the individual last referred to, (together with several others,) has been preserved in spirits, to be transmitted to Dr. Weatherhead, who stated his intention of examining it anatomically on its arrival, and of laying before the Committee the result of his observations on this interesting subject. It was remarked that the existence of milk in the situation described by Lieutenant Maule, is fully confirmatory of the correctness of the deductions made by Mr. Owen, from the minute dissection of several individuals, (including one in the Society's collection, presented by Captain Mallard, R. N., Corr. Memb. Z. S.) that the glands discovered by M. Meckel are really mammary. This

on

opinion, with the anatomical reasons which it was founded, have been lately laid, by Mr. Owen, before the Royal Society, in a paper which is published in the second part of the Philosophical Transactions for 1832. Mr. Owen's dissections, however, though they established the existence of numerous minute tubes leading from the glands in question through the skin, where it was covered with wool, did not enable him to detect any canals so large as would appear to be indicated in Lieutenant Maule's letter.-ARCANA OF SCIENCE, 1833.

senting the reader with a few observations on a creature or being which has employed the speculation, and enlisted the credulity of mankind in various ages, but which we firmly believe to exist only in the eccentric fancy of the poet, or the heated imagination of the superstitious fisherman. In the year 1822, one of these things, most ingeniously composed, was exhibited, to the infinite astonishment of the wonder-hunters of the metropolis. The editor of the Literary Gazette observed, when this monster was exhibiting:

"Our opinion is fixed that it is a composi tion; a most ingenious one, we grant, but still nothing beyond the admirably put together members of various animals. The extraordinary skill of the Chinese and Japanese in executing such deceptions is notorious; and we have no doubt but that the Mermaid is a manufacture from the Indian Sea, where it has been pretended it was caught. We are not of those who, because they happen not to have had direct proof of the existence of any extraordinary natural phenomenon, push scepticism to the extreme, and deny its possibility.