242 WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CHAP. 



The hippopotamus is heavier than the black rhinoceros, but 

 would be about equal in weight to the white variety; it may 

 therefore be ranked as second in weight to the elephant. The 

 flesh and hide are more dense than those of the elephant, which 

 causes it to sink immediately when shot within deep water; if 

 within 25 feet depth, the body will ascend and float when the gases 

 shall have distended the carcase, which will take place in about 

 two hours. 



The specific gravity would be greater than the displacement in 

 water, but so nearly balanced that the animal can rise to the 

 surface with very slight muscular exertion ; and it can at the same 

 time run along the bed of the river at great speed, as hardly any 

 weight would press upon the limbs, the body being almost self- 

 supporting in the water. 



The feet of the hippopotamus are shaped in a peculiar manner, 

 which enables it to clamber up greasy and slippery mud-banks, at 

 the same time that they are well adapted for swimming, or for 

 travelling upon the spongy bottom. There are only four toes upon 

 each foot ; these are tipped with horny points, which afford good 

 holding power either for ascent or descent. The toes spread widely 

 upon soft ground, and although not actually web-footed, the skin 

 between each toe expands to a certain degree, which assists the 

 animal's progress when swimming by offering a considerable surface 

 for resistance to the water. 



I measured a bull hippopotamus, 1 4 feet 3 inches from snout to 

 end of tail ; the latter being about 9 inches. 



The legs are exceedingly short, being in the same proportion to 

 the height of the animal as those of a well-bred pig. The head is 

 enormous, and the mouth is the largest of any terrestrial creature 

 in existence. Cuvier describes the teeth as follows : " Six grinders 

 on each side of both jaws, the three anterior of which are conical, 

 the posterior presenting two pair of points, which by detrition 

 assume a trefoil shape ; four incisors above and below, those of the 

 upper jaw being short, conical, and recurved, the inferior prolonged, 

 cylindrical, pointed, and horizontally projecting ; a canine tooth 

 on each side above and below, the upper straight, the lower very 

 large and recurved, those of the two jaws rubbing against each 

 other." 



The tusks exactly resemble, on an enormous scale, those of the 

 wild boar, and the lower tusks are sharpened in the same manner, 

 by attrition against the upper. The enamel upon the surface of 

 the two defensive tusks is extremely thick and hard : the amount 

 of silica in its composition is so great, that, in cutting out the tooth 



