xn THE HIPPOPOTAMUS 245 



the water for the tenth part of a second, during which the air will 

 have been exchanged and the lungs inflated instantaneously. 



Although it is a stupid animal, it certainly exhibits a consider- 

 able amount of cleverness, in thus preserving its head from attack, 

 and when it takes to such tactics as exposing no other portion than 

 the nose, it is quite impossible to shoot with any effect. 



At a former period the tusks of the hippo were more valuable 

 than the ivory of the elephant, as they were in request by dentists 

 for artificial teeth. Their superiority to ordinary ivory consisted 

 in the permanence of colour, as they never turned yellow. For 

 this reason the price was exceedingly high, as much as 25s. per 

 Ib. having been given at the commencement of this century. It 

 was necessary to clean off the hard enamel by a revolving grind- 

 stone before it was possible to manufacture the close-grained 

 material beneath. The American invention of porcelain enamel 

 for artificial teeth has destroyed the value of hippopotami tusks, 

 which are now lower in price than the ivory of elephants. 



The va 4 lue of the hippopotamus depends at present entirely upon 

 its hide and fat; the former is used for whips, and for facing 

 revolving wheels when polishing steel surfaces. Hippopotamus 

 fat is excellent, being free from any strong flavour, and closely 

 resembling lard in consistency when boiled and clarified. A well- 

 conditioned hippo will yield about 200 Ibs. of pure fat, which is 

 much esteemed by the Arabs, as their domestic animals are 

 usually devoid of anything beyond muscles, both hard and lean. 



I have never *seen a female with more than two young ones, 

 and very frequently with only a solitary calf; they are affectionate 

 mothers, and the little ones usually stand upon the back of their 

 careful parent, who swims about with them and occasionally 

 brings them to the surface in the same position, whenever she 

 considers that they require fresh air. 



They are pugnacious brutes among themselves, and the bulls 

 are constantly fighting during the night, roaring bellicose challenges 

 to each other in prolonged deep-toned snorts, that vibrate through 

 the bottom of the vessel when moored for the night on the desolate 

 White Nile. 



I have frequently witnessed tremendous combats between bull 

 hippopotami, when they have appeared upon the surface with their 

 huge jaws locked together, and utterly regardless in their fury of 

 any external danger. Upon one occasion, in a very narrow channel 

 of the labyrinth-like branches of the White Nile, I found a herd 

 containing numerous individuals ; and as the channel was hardly 

 30 yards in width, they were completely at my mercy whenever 



