DUGONG. MALAY. The sea siren, merman, mermaid. Professor Owen denominated the &gong of the Archipelago, Halicore Indieus, in distinction from that of the northern coast of Australia, at a thue when the former had not been ascertained to frequent (as a dugong of soma kind is now known to do) the Malabar coast and Gulf of Calpentyn in Ceylon.
Halieore Dugong.
Tridiechus dugong, Gmel. Dugungus Indicus, Haan. Indian dugong, . ENG. I Mermaid, . . . ENG. Sea siren, Merman, „ I Le dugong des Indes, FE.
This inhabits the shallows of the Indian Ocean and about Ceylon, where the water is not more than two or three fathoms deep. It does not appear to frequent tho land or tho fresh water. Its flesh is delicate. Tho dugong was noticed as occurring in Ceylon by the early Arab sailors, by Megasthenes (Enigma. lix.) and 2Elian, and subse quently by the Portuguese. It is this creature which has given rise to the tales about mermaids which have till the present day occupied the world, and doubtless had their origin in the tales of the Arab sailors. They are phytophagous or plant-eaters. Numbers are attracted to tho inlets from the Bay of Calpentyn to Adam's Bridge, by the still water, and tho abundance of marine algaa in these parts of the gulf. One which was killed at 31anatir in 1874 measured upwards of 7 feet in length, but specimens considerably larger have been taken at Calpcntyn ; find their flesh is represented as closely resembling veal.
Ha1icore Australis, manate of Dampier, white tailed manate of Pennant, is a native of tho west coast of Australia, and is called also the sea-cow.
About the month of January the dugong shows itself intPort Mouat Bay, coming to feed upon a species of seaweed, which is also relished by the Ilalicoro Indicus, P. Curler.
Trichechus dugong, Er.d. II. tabernaculum, Rup. Halicoro cotacea, //icy. Dogungtts tnarInus, Tic& H. dugong, Cue.
Dugong, . . . MALAY. I l'armnpuan Laut, MALAY.
Under these synonyms Dr. Theodore Cantor unites all the above, which he says inhabits the Red Sea, the seas of the Malay Peninsula, Singa pore, Sumatra, the Philippine islands, Moluccas, bunda islands, and New Holland. It is supposed that the dugong can be easily domesticated. Doubtless the ancient Arab stories gave rise to the mermaid tales which have since then occupied the world, for it is this creature that has given rise to all the fables about the mermaid and the merman. Tennyson writes of 'A mermaid fair Singing alone.
Combing her hair, Under the sea, In a golden curl, With a comb of peal], On a. throne.
At night I would wander away, away ; I would fling on each side my low-tlowing locks, And lightly vault from the throne, and play With the mermen in and out of tho rocks ; We would run to and fro, and hide and seek, On the broad sett wolds iu tho crimson shells Whose silvery spikes aro nearest the sea.' —Eng. Cyc. ; Myth in Belly. Soe. Jour. ; Tennant's Ceylon; Dr. Theodore Cantor in Beny. As. Soc. Jour., No. elxxii. Deer. 18-18.