154 NEIGHBORS WITH CLAWS AND HOOFS. 



now before me ; it is hollow at one end, like the tusk of 

 an elephant. "When the animal was alive, this hollow was 

 filled with soft pulp. The tooth is always growing for- 

 ward as the pulp solidifies behind. The reader can easily 

 see how this is, by examining the front tooth of the lower 

 jaw of the next boiled rabbit he has for dinner. The out- 

 side of the tooth of the hippopotamus is formed of a glass- 

 like, hard enamel ; it is exceedingly dense, hard, and flint- 

 like. I have just taken down my old regimental sword, 

 and find that, by striking it at the proper angle, a shower 

 of sparks fly away from the tooth, like the sparks from a 

 boy's " fire-devil," made in form of a pyramid with wet 

 gunpowder. The teeth of the hippopotami, as in the rab- 

 bit, are sometimes liable to deformity. In the College of 

 Surgeons there is the tooth of a hippopotamus which has 

 grown nearly into the form of a circle. 



9. Not long ago the old male hippopotamus at the 

 Gardens suffered from a decayed tooth. Mr. Bartlett, 

 with his ever-ready talent in meeting all emergencies, de- 

 termined to pull out the tooth. He ordered the black- 

 smith to make a pair of " tooth-forceps," and a tremendous 

 pair they were. The "bite" of the forceps just fitted 

 the tooth of the hippo. By skillful management, Bartlett 

 contrived to seize Master Hippo's tooth, as he put his 

 head through the bars. The hippo, roaring frightfully, 

 pulled one way, Bartlett and the keepers pulled the other, 

 and at last out came the tooth, and hippo soon got well 

 again. 



10. No animal in the world is made without purpose, 

 and we always find that the structure of an animal is ad- 

 mirably adapted to its mode of life. I believe that one 

 of the principal duties which the elephant and rhinoceros 

 unconsciously perform is to cut paths through the dense 

 forest and jungles in which they live. The home of the 



