488 DESCRIPTION OF THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 



opia. It is, however, receding fast before civilization. It 

 inhabits both fresh and salt water. 



Formerly, there is every reason to believe it existed in parts 

 of Asia ; but the species is now extinct on that continent. 



There are said to be two species of hippopotami in Africa, 

 namely, the hipiyopotamus amphibius and the hippoiMamus 

 Liberiensis, the latter being described as very much the small- 

 er of the two ; but, to the best of my belief, I never fell in 

 with it. 



The hippopotamus is a most singular-looking animal, and 

 has not inaptly been likened to a " form intermediate be- 

 tween an overgrown hog and a high-fed bull without horns 

 and with cropped ears." It has an immensely large head. 

 Ray says the upper mandible is movable, as with the croco- 

 dile. Each of its jaws is armed with two formidable tusks ; 

 those in the lower, Avhich are always the largest, attain, at 

 times, two feet in length. The inside of the mouth has been 

 described by a recent writer as resembling " a mass of butch- 

 er's meat." The eyes — which Captain Harris likens " to 

 the garret windows of a Dutch cottage" — the nostrils and 

 ears", are all placed nearly on the same plane, which allows the 

 use of three senses, and of respiration, with a very small por- 

 tion of the animal being exposed when it rises to the surface 

 of the water. The size of its body is not much inferior to 

 that of the elephant, but its legs are much shorter — so low, 

 indeed, is the animal at times in the body that the belly al- 

 most touches the ground. The hoofs are divided into four 

 parts, unconnected by membranes. The skin, which is of 

 nearly an inch in thickness, is destitute of covering, excepting 

 a few scattered hairs on the muzzle, edges of the ears, and 

 tail. The color of the animal, when on land, is of a purple 

 brown ; but when seen at the bottom of a pool it appears 

 altogether different, viz., of a dark blue, or, as Dr. Burchell 

 describes it, of a light hue of Indian ink. 



When the hippopotamus is enraged, its appearance is most 



