HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 183 



that suitable delineations have not accompanied 

 their accurate descriptions, a general defect, by 

 which the study of nature has been much retarded, 

 the laborious researches of many learned and ingeni- 

 ous naturalists greatly frustrated, and the errors of 

 former times repeatedly copied, and multiplied 

 without number. 



The size of the Hippopotamus is nearly equal to 

 that of the Elephant. M. Yaillant says, that one 

 which he killed, measured, from the tip of the nose 

 to the insertion of the tail, ten feet seven inches, 

 and was eight feet eleven inches in circumference; 

 but, from the smallness of its tusks, he supposed it 

 to be a young one. In its stomach were found 

 leaves and reeds, grossly chew r ed: likewise small 

 branches of trees, a little bruised. 



It inhabits all the larger rivers of Africa, from 

 the Niger to the Cape of Good Hope; but it is 

 found in none of the African rivers that run into 

 the Mediterranean, except the Nile, and in that 

 part of it only which runs through the Upper 

 Egypt, and in the fens and lakes of Ethiopia. 



The head of this animal is enormously large : its 

 mouth vastly wide. Ray says, that the upper man- 

 dible is moveable, like that of a Crocodile. In each 

 jaw there are four cutting teeth; those in the lower 

 jaw point straight forward: it has four large tusks; 

 the largest, which are always in the lower jaw, are 

 sometimes above two feet long : it is said that the 

 canine teeth are so hard, as to emit fire on being 

 struck with steel; they are perfectly white, and 

 preferable to ivory for making artificial teeth: the 

 grinders are square or oblong like those of a man ; 

 and so large that a single tooth weighs above three 

 pounds; the skin is of a dusky colour, bears a 



