156 THE COMMON HIPPOPOTAMUS. 



as these constituted to the Klaar-water people the 

 greatest partof the profits. The ribs are covered 

 with a thick layer of fat, celebrated as the great- 

 est delicacy, and known to the colonists as a 

 rarity by the name of Zeekce-spek, (sea-cow pork.) 

 This can only be preserved by salting; as on 

 attempting to dry it in the sun, in the same 

 manner as the other parts of the animal, it melts 

 away. The rest of the flesh consists entirely of 

 lean ; and was, as usual with all other game, cut 

 into large slices, and dried on the bushes, reser- 

 ving only enough for the present use. Three 

 bushels, at least, of half chewed grass were taken 

 out of its stomach and intestines.* 



It has been generally considered, that there is 

 only one species of Hippopotamus known from 

 recent specimens. M. Desmoulins is the only 

 person who has given us any reason to doubt it, 

 and as we find other animals of North and South, 

 or South and West Africa, though closely allied, 

 co differ, there is reason to suppose, that in this 

 case we may also have distinct species. The 

 question is at present quite undecided. M. Des- 

 moulins takes his characters from the skeleton of 

 a Hippopotamus from the Cape, and one from 

 Senegal. In the first, the sagittal crest is, at least, 

 a fifth of the distance from the occipital crest, to 



* BurchelPs Travels in South Africa. 



