09»' THE NATURAL HISTOET EEYIEW. 



The same results would, of course, follow, although the thickness 

 of the ice-sheet at the Poles were far less than we have for conve- 

 nience assumed, provided that an equal amount of ice be in some 

 way or other placed on the northern hemisphere. 



Although the general submergence and re-elevation of the land 

 during the glacial epoch were, no doubt, due to the cause which we 

 have been considering, still there would probably have been local 

 depressions and elevations going on during the period, resulting from 

 other causes, the same as there are at present, and have been in all 

 ages. "I am, yours respectfully, 



James Ceoll. 



3. BiETH OF A Hippopotamus in Ecteope. 



In a paper on this subject read before section D., at the recent 

 meeting of the British Association, at Birmingham, by Mr. Sclater, 

 it was remarked that three pairs of this huge animal were now 

 living in different Zoological Gardens of Europe, viz., in those of 

 London, Paris, and Amsterdam. Though the female in the gardens 

 in London had often shown signs of breeding, and attempts at copu- 

 lation had been made by the male, it was not believed that concep- 

 tion had ever occurred. In the case of both other pairs, reproduction 

 had taken place on several occasions, but the new-born animal had 

 always perished either from the violence of its parent immediately 

 after its birth, or from incapacity to take food when removed from 

 its mother. The first successful instance of the reproduction of the 

 Hippopotamus in Europe w^as therefore that which took place at 

 Amsterdam, on the 29th July last, for the details of which Mr. 

 Sclater was indebted to the well known Director of the Zooloaical 

 Gardens in that city, Mr. G. F. Westerman. Copulation in the 

 present instance had occurred on the 6th and 7th December, 1864, 

 so that the period of gestation was estimated at 234 days, which had 

 been likewise confirmed in the previous cases of reproduction of 

 the same pair of animals. As soon as the birth took place the little 

 animal was removed from the mother, not without some difficulty, 

 . as the latter was already on her legs to defend it, and transferred 

 to a separate house, previously prepared for its reception. Here it 

 w^as now thriving well, and growing fast, taking every day in 

 six or seren meals about two and a half gallons of milk mixed with 

 one-fifth part of water. 



