HIP 



[216] 



HOG 



tho pectens by the irregularity of 

 surface. Several species are known 

 in the Jurassic, cretaceous, and 

 tertiary deposits. Lycett. 



HlPPOPO'TAMUS. (iTrTroTrorafios, Gr. 



hippopotame, Fr. ippopotamo, It.) 

 Bochart conceived this animal to 

 be the Behemoth of the book of 

 Job. One existing species only is 

 at present known, but Cuvier con- 

 sidered he had discovered four in 

 thfe fossil state. The first so nearly 

 resembles the species now existing 

 that the Baron could at first 

 scarcely distinguish them. The 

 second is about the size of the 

 wild boar; the third was inter- 

 mediate between the two, and the 

 fourth about the size of a guinea- 

 pig. The hippopotamus, or river- 

 horse, belongs to the order Pachy- 

 dermata, or thick-skinned animals, 

 class Mammalia. This genus of 

 quadrupeds has four fore-teeth in 

 the upper jaw, disposed in pairs at 

 a distance from each other ; and 

 four prominent fore-teeth in the 

 under jaw, the intermediate ones 

 being longest. There are two 

 tusks in each jaw, those of the 

 under being long, and obliquely 

 truncated; in both they stand 

 solitary, and are recurvated. No 

 other animal has tusks formed 

 like the hippopotamus. Those of 

 the elephant are larger, but neither 

 angular nor striated ; those of the 

 morse are very much striated 

 towards the root, but not angular ; 

 the tusk of the narwhal is straight, 

 but twisted spirally by the stria3 of 

 the surface. In the hippopotamus 

 there are five striaB, concentrical to 

 the contour of the tooth. The feet 

 are hoofed on the edges. The head 

 is of an enormous size, and the 

 mouth vastly wide. The ears are 

 small and pointed. The eyes and 

 nostrils are small. The body is 

 naked. The tail is about a foot 

 long, taper, compressed and naked. 

 The legs are short and thick ; the 



belly reaching to the ground. One 

 species only is known, the hippopo- 

 tamus amphibius, confined to the 

 rivers of Africa. 



Fossil bones and teeth of the 

 hippopotamus are abundantly found 

 in England, France, Germany, and 

 Italy ; several extinct species have 

 been determined by Cuvier. The 

 head of a hippopotamus was found 

 in Lancashire, under the peat; 

 bones and teeth are found in large 

 quantities in the Yal d'Arno, in 

 Italy, and in alluvial deposites in 

 the neighbourhood of Home. 



HI'PPOPUS. (from fWo?, a horse, and 

 7ro9, a foot.) A subtransverse, 

 equivalve, inequilateral shell; lu- 

 nule closed with crenulated edges ; 

 the hinge formed of two long com- 

 pressed entering teeth in one valve, 

 and three in the other ; the crescent 

 closed. Parkinson states that he 

 does not know of any fossil shells 

 of this genus having been found, 

 but Sowerby mentions fossil species. 



HIPPOTHE'RIUM. (from ITTTTO?, and 

 Orjpiov, Gr.) An extinct animal, 

 allied to the horse, belonging to 

 the miocene period. 



HIPPOPO'DITJM. A fossil genus of 

 thick, inequilateral, equivalve, bi- 

 valve shells; the hinge is much 

 incrassated, with one rugged ob- 

 lique tooth, One species H. pond- 

 erosum, is found in the lower lias. 

 Lycett. 



HI'PPUBITE. A fossil conical shell, 

 having an under shell of great 

 depth, with a flat lid or operculum. 

 This genus is believed to be wholly 

 extinct. The operculum is some- 

 times convex, but generally it is 

 concave. The particular economy 

 of the inhabitant of this shell is 

 not known. Lamarck has placed 

 the hippurite among his chambered 

 cephalopoda. 



HISI'NGEBITE. A mineral of a dark 

 colour, occurrring massive, found 

 in the cavities of calcareous spar. 



HOG- TOOTH SPAS. A dodecahedral 



