THEORY OF THE EA11TH. 283 



by the gods, to prevent them from destroying the 

 human species. 



Along with these enormous pachydermata, liv- 

 ed the two somewhat inferior genera of the rhino- 

 ceroses and hippopotami. 



The Hippopotamus of this period was pretty 

 common in the countries which now form France, 

 Germany and England, and was particularly so 

 in Italy. It so closely resembled the present Af- 

 rican species, that it is only by an attentive com- 

 parison that it can be distinguished from it *. 



There was also at this time a small species of 

 hippopotamus of the size of the wild boar, to 

 which there is nothing similar at present exist- 

 ing. 



There were at least three species of Rhinoceros 

 of large size, all of them two-horned. 



The most common species in Germany and 

 England (my Rh. tichorhinus), and which, like 

 the elephant, is found even to the shores of the 

 frozen sea, where it has also left entire individuals, 

 had the head elongated, the bones of the nose 

 very robust and supported by an osseous and not 

 merely cartilaginous septum narium, and, lastly, 

 wanted incisors f. 



* Researches," vol, i. p. 304, 322 ; vol, iii. p. 380 ; vol. 

 iv, p. 493, 



t Id, vol. ii. part i, p, 64; and vol. iv. p, 496. 



