356 THE EVEN-TOED UNGULATES 



or Collared Peccary (Dicotylis torquatus), and the White-lipped 

 Peccary (D. Idbiatus) ; the first ranges from Texas to the Straits 

 of Magellan, and the latter, which is also the larger and fiercer 

 animal, inhabits the forests of South America. Fossil remains of 

 the Hog family have been found in formations as far back as the 

 Miocene Age, in which period the canines were not developed 

 into large tusks. 



To-day the great Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) 

 is confined in its range to the African continent, though from 

 remains that have been found it appears to have recently inhabited 

 Madagascar ; while its fossil remains (a small species not much 

 larger than a domestic pig) have been found in the island of Cyprus 

 in Asia, Europe, and even the Thames gravels. It is a gigantic, 

 thick-skinned animal, attaining a length of at least fourteen feet, 

 and has but few hairs upon its corpulent body. The legs and tail 

 are short, and there are four toes on each foot. The animal at times, 

 especially after just quitting the water, produces a remarkable 

 secretion, or " bloody sweat," which has, of course, nothing to 

 do with the blood, and contains small crystals and corpuscles 

 from the skin. The nostrils are on the surface of the head, and 

 can be closed when the animal is under water. Not only can the 

 Hippopotamus swim, but it can walk rapidly along the bottom 

 of a river. It is occasionally known to swim out to sea from the 

 mouths of the rivers which it frequents, and it is thought that 

 it was in this way that the Hippopotamus reached Madagascar ; 

 while Europe and Asia were, of course, in past geological ages, 

 connected by land with Africa. The front part of the head is broad 

 and massive, the eyes are prominent and placed far back and well 

 towards the upper surface, and the ears are very short and have 

 a special arrangement of muscles by which they can be closed 

 when the animal dives beneath the surface. 



The Hippopotamus is nocturnal in its habits, frequenting rivers 

 and lagoons, and rarely leaving them or their immediate vicinity, 

 except at night, when it may ravage the green crops of the native 

 villages. Its food consists of grass, young shrubs, and water plants, 

 and it is also said to be particularly fond of green corn. Its mouth 

 is very large, and armed with grinders and tusks which present 

 a most formidable appearance when the animal opens its mouth, 

 for it has a gape which is unsurpassed in width by that of any 



