Miscellaneous. 517 
to be sunk in grooves or pits of the thick gums : but the animal would 
not permit any close examination of his teeth ; withdrawing his head 
from the attempt and then threatening to bite. The muzzle is beset 
with short bristles projecting at pretty regular distances ; several of 
them appearing to be split into tufts or pencils of short hairs. Ex- 
tremely fine and short hairs are scattered all over the back and sides ; 
which are not very obvious except upon a close inspection. The 
tail is short, rather flattened, and gradually tapering to an obtuse 
point. 
After lying quietly about an hour, now and then raising its head 
and swiveling its eyeballs towards the keeper, or playfully opening 
its huge mouth and threatening to bite the leg of the chair on which 
his keeper sat, the hippopotamus rose and walked slowly about its 
room, and then uttered a loud and short harsh snort, four or five 
times in quick succession, reminding one of the snort of a horse, and 
ending with an explosive sound like a bark. The keeper understood 
the language, and told us that the animal was expressing its desire to 
return to its bath. The beast at this time was in one of the com- 
partments of the wing of the Giraffe-house on the opposite side to 
that in which its bath is prepared. It carries its head rather de- 
pressed, and reminded me most of a huge prize hog, but with a breadth 
of muzzle and other features peculiarly its own. The keeper opened 
the door leading into the Giraffe’s paddock and walked through that 
to the new wing containing the bath, the hippopotamus following, like 
a dog, close to his heels. On arriving at the bath-room the animal 
descended with some deliberation the flight of low steps leading into 
the water, stooped and drank a little, dipped his head under, and 
then plunged forwards. It was no sooner in its favourite element than 
its whole aspect changed, and it seemed inspired with new life and 
activity : sinking down to the bottom and moving about submerged for 
a while, it would suddenly rise with a bound, almost bodily out of the 
water, and splashing back commenced swimming and plunging about 
with a cetaceous or porpoise-like rolling from side to side, taking in 
mouthfuls of water and spurting them out again, raising every now 
and then its huge grotesque head, and biting the woodwork at the 
margin of the bath. The broad rounded back of the animal being 
now chiefly in view, it looks a much larger animal than when out of 
the water. After half an hour spent in this amusement it quitted the 
water at the call of its keeper, and followed him back to the sleeping 
room which is well-bedded with straw, and where a stuffed sack is 
provided for its pillow, of which the animal, having a very short neck, 
thicker than the head, duly avails itself when it sleeps. When awake 
it is very impatient of any absence of its favourite attendant, rises 
on its hind legs, and threatens to break down the wooden fence, by 
butting and pushing against it in a way strongly significative of its 
great muscular force. The animal appears to be im perfect health, 
and breathes when at rest slowly and regularly, from three to four 
times in a minute. Its food is now a kind of porridge of milk and 
maize-meal. Its appetite has been im no respect diminished by the 
confinement and inconveniences of the sea-voyage, or by change of 
climate. It is more than half-weaned from the milk-diet, which, it is 
