With J-lashlij^ht and Rifle -»> 



But even in the inland lake-districts such as that 

 of the Victoria Nyanza, the davs of this great water- 

 hoa: seem to be numbered. It is true that on the Kno^lish 

 side of the lake there is a decree in force to prevent 

 the complete extermination ot the species, but in spite 

 of this the " kiboko " is bound to disappear from these 

 regions, just as it has from the Nile Valley. 



Of very great interest was the discovery a good many 

 years ago of a species of dwarf hippopotamus on the 

 West Coast, in Liberia. These little animals, according 

 to the scanty knowledge we as yf;t have of them, would 

 seem to live in the streams of the primeval forests. 



The ordinary hippopotamus would be found probably, 

 on closer investigation, to be divisible into various 

 races ; I myself have noticed differences in size, appear- 

 ance, and habits between the hippopotamuses I have met 

 with in tlie neighbourhood of different streams. 



Herodotus tells us that in his time already the hippo- 

 potamus was found to have rents on his skin, and he 

 makes the suggestion that these were made by sharp 

 sedge-grass. These rents I too have noticed ; but as 

 I have found them also on rhinoceros-skins — never on 

 those of elephants — 1 am inclined to believe that they 

 must be caused by something else. 



We have had many accounts of the hippo])otamus 

 from travellers of all sorts, from the days ot Herodotus 

 down to our own, and thc\ all agree in d(„"scril)ing the 

 animal as ill-tempered antl dangerous, and a \ cr}- ugly 

 customer to deal with. The last testimony to this was 

 given b\ JJrehm, who, howexcr, had to deal tor the 



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