popular Birttamcrg of &mmatctr jtaturr. 319 



The HIPPAKCHIA JEaERiA, or SPECKLED 

 WOOD BUTTERFLY. This species seems to 

 be pretty generally diffused throughout the 

 United Kingdom ; and several broods make 

 their appearance between the beginning of 

 April and the end of August. Anterior 

 wings brown on both surfaces, with a num- 

 ber of yellowish spots, and an ocellus to- 

 wards the tip : posterior wings above brown, 

 with a series of yellowish spots, of which the 

 three inner ones are oqellattd, having a white 



pupil with a black iris, and surrounded by a 

 yellowish circle ; beneath they are brownish, 

 with irregular angulated brown bands ; the 

 hinder margin purplish, with a series of white 

 dots : the cilia are yellowish and brown : the 

 body brown above, pale beneath; the antenna; 

 brownish. The female is generally more 

 spotted than the male, and the spots are 

 larger. Caterpillar green, with white lon- 

 gitudinal lines ; it feeds on couch grass. 

 Chrysalis green, and short. 



HIPPOCAMPUS. A genus of Lopho- 

 branchiate fish of a highly singular appear- 

 ance, which has obtained the English name 

 of the Sea-horse Pipe-fish. The best knowu 

 species is the Syntjnathus Hippocampus of 

 Linnaeus, or Hippocampus Brevirostris of 

 Cuvier. Its general length is from six to 



ten inches ; body much compressed, short, 

 and deep ; the whole length of the body and 

 tail divided by longitudinal and transverse 

 ridges, with tubercular points at the angles 

 of intersection ; snout slender ( neck con- 



tracting suddenly beyond the head ; and the 

 tail long, quadrangular, and terminating in 

 a naked or finless tip. When swimming 

 about, the Hippocampus maintains a vertical 

 position ; but the tail is ready to grasp what- 

 ever it meets in the water, and when fixed, 

 the animal darts at its prey with great dex- 

 terity. In its dry or contracted state the 

 fancied resemblance from which this fish 

 takes its name is far more apparent than 

 when alive. It is a native of the Mediter- 

 ranean and Atlantic seas. 



A genus of long- tailed 

 he Shr 



HIPPOLYTE. 



Crustacea allied to the Shrimps, several spe- 

 cies of which are found on our coasts. The 

 British Museum contains these : descriptions 

 and figures of them all are given in the 

 works of Dr. Leach and of Prof. Bell on the 

 British Crustacea. 



IIIPPONYX. A genus of Molluscous 

 animals, of which there are numerous spe- 

 cies, though until lately only known in a 

 fossil state. The shell is obliquely cap- 

 shaped ; inequivalve, sub-equilateral, and 

 destitute of ligament and hinge teeth ; lower 

 valve attached, sub-orbicular, with a mus- 

 cular impression, composed of two lunulate 

 portions, meeting at one extremity, and pre- 

 senting the form of a horse-shoe ; upper 

 valve conical, with the apex inclined back- 

 wards, and the muscular impression mar- 

 ginal. These animals are generally sup- 

 ported on a solid shelly plate, but not always, 

 the same object being gained when a suitable 

 place of attachment can be found by their 

 adhering to other shells. 



HIPPOPOTAMUS, or RIVER-HORSE. 



This gigantic inhabitant of the African 

 rivers is as formidable as the Rhinoceros, 

 and in bulk inferior only to the Elephant, 

 but its limbs are so short that its belly al- 

 most touches the ground. Its form is in the 

 highest degree uncouth ; the body being 



IDS.) 



extremely bulky, fat, and round ; the legs 

 very short and clumsy ; the head immensely 

 large ; the mouth prodigiously wide, and 

 the teeth of vast strength and size, the in- 

 cisors and canines of the lower jaw being 

 long, and curved forwards : these canines, 

 or tusks, sometimes measure more than two 

 feet in length, and weigh upwards of six 

 pounds each. Those in the upper jaw are 

 much smaller ; and the front teeth are of a 

 moderate size. The lips are very thick and 

 broad, and are beset, here and there, with 

 scattered tufts of short bristles : the nostrils 



