Il8 NATURAL HISTORY ESSAYS 



mammalia — the series including two crania of the 

 new animal. Dr. Gpheen, of Monrovia, who had 

 obtained these during his residence in West Africa, 

 had from the first suspected that they indicated 

 a new species, a deduction abundantly confirmed 

 bysubsequentexaminationof theskulls. Dr. Morton 

 finally sent the two specimens, under the care of 

 Sir Chas. Lyell, to London, where they were 

 carefully examined by Sir Richard Owen and 

 Dr. Falconer, theauthor of the "Fauna Sivalensis." 

 Falconer regarded the finding of the pigmy hip- 

 popotamus as "one of the most interesting and 

 remarkable discoveries in recent zoology." Casts 

 were carefully made of the best of the two skulls, 

 which were both duly returned to their owner. 

 Dr. Morton published an account of his specimens, 

 accompanied by two wood engravings, in the 

 Proceedings of the Academy of Sciences of Phila- 

 delphia for 1844. This paper reappeared in 1840, 

 alter careful revision, illustrated by several excellent 

 plates, under the title of "Additional observations 

 on a new living species of hippopotamus of 

 Western Africa." Dr. Morton presented a copy 

 of his revised treatise to Sir Richard Owen : this 

 copy, inscribed with the author's handwriting, is 

 now in my possession, and constitutes a very 

 interesting memento of an important zoological 

 discovery. 



In spite of the advance of science during recent 



