G. GENERAL NATURAL HISTORY AND ZOOLOGY. 245 



scribed two new species of Ornithosauria, or of pterodactyls ; 

 these belong to the genus Ornithochirus, and one of the spe- 

 cies he states to be the most gigantic of the group, the spread 

 of the wings probably measuring fully twenty-five feet. He 

 also described some species of Protost 'eg a, an extinct tortoise 

 genus of the cretaceous formation of Kansas, somewhat sim- 

 ilar to S2)ha?'gis, and one of them the largest known marine 

 turtle. 2 D, MSS.,Feb. 15, March 1, 1872. 



BIRTH OF A YOUNG HIPPOPOTAMUS. 



A young hippopotamus was recently born at the gardens 

 of the Zoological Society in the Regent's Park, London, the 

 third time such an event has occurred in Europe. The first 

 infant born at the gardens lived only a week, and this last 

 was even more short-lived, dying the day after its birth. As 

 on the previous occasion, the mother became so ferocious im- 

 mediately after the birth had taken place that it was with 

 the greatest difficulty the keeper could enter the cage. Nei- 

 ther time did the mother suckle her child. 



BABY HIPPOPOTAMUS. 



Much interest was excited about a year ago, in England, 

 in regard to the birth of a young hippopotamus, at the Zoo- 

 logical Gardens of London, an occurrence which had never 

 taken place before in Great Britain, although Amsterdam had 

 previously had a similar experience. As before, this young 

 animal made no attempt to suck, although its mother was 

 amply provided with milk. An attempt was made to re- 

 move it, for the purpose of supporting it by artificial suste- 

 nance, but the mother was so savage as to render this impos- 

 sible. Death ensued in three days, apparently from want of 

 nutriment. 



It seems quite remarkable that the instinct of the baby 

 hippopotamus did not teach it to obtain food, as both it and 

 the mother had been in the water together, as well as on the 

 land. The length of this young animal was three feet four 

 inches from the tip of the nose to the root of the tail, the 

 head being ten inches in length. The skin was very much 

 corrugated, and seemed covered with a glass-like varnish. 

 2 A, January 13, 1872, 20. 



