8 SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF MAMMALIA. 



Between the skin and the flesh is a layer of fat, which 

 is salted and eaten as a delicacy by the Dutch colonists of 

 Southern Africa; indeed the epicures of Cape-Town, as 

 Dr. Smith says, do not disdain to use their influence with 

 the country farmers to obtain a preference in the matter 

 of sea-coiv's speck, as this fat is termed when salted and 

 dried. The flesh also is excellent and in much request. 

 The general colour of the hippopotamus is dusky brown- 

 ish red, passing on the sides and limbs into a light 

 purple, red, or brown ; the under parts, the lips, and the 

 eyelids are light wood-brown, with a tinge of flesh- 

 colour ; the hinder quarters and the under surface are 

 freckled with spots of dusky brown ; the hairs of the 

 tail and ears are black, those on the muzzle yellowish- 

 brown. The male far exceeds the female in size. 

 The hippopotamus is gregarious in its habits, saga- 

 cious, wary, and cautious. It has been long driven away 

 from the rivers within the limits of the Cape colon}^ ; 

 but in remoter districts, where the sound of the musket 

 is seldom heard, it abounds in every large river, and is 

 comparatively fearless of man. *' To convey," says Dr. 

 Smith, " some idea of the numbers in which they were 

 found in several of the rivers towards the tropic of 

 Capricorn, it may suffice to state that in the course of 

 an hour and a half a few members of the expedition 

 party killed seven within gunshot of their encampment. 

 Several other individuals were in the same pool, and 

 might also have been killed, had it been desirable. One 

 of the survivors was observed to make his escape to an 

 adjoining pool, and in accomplishing that he walked 

 with considerable rapidity along the bottom of the river, 

 and with his back covered with about a foot of water." 

 (Fig. 1.) 



The hippopotami, according to Dr. Smith, feed 

 chiefly on grass, resorting to situations near the banks of 

 rivers which supply that food. " In districts fully in- 

 habited by man," says Dr. Smith, " they generally pass 

 the day in the water, and seek their nourishment during 

 the night ; but in localities differently circumstanced 

 they often pass a portion of the day as well as the night 

 upon dry land. In countries in which the night-time 



