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ORDE R PA CH Y DERM A TA. FAMILY Ordinaria. 



THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. (Hippopotamus amphibius, Linn.) 

 River-Horse. Sea-Cow. 



This animal inhabits the middle and south of Africa, haunting 

 the rivers and their banks. Captain Belcher met with a very 

 large hippopotamus off the south-west end of Yomber Island, 

 off the west coast of Africa, and which, from being covered with 

 barnacles, proves that this animal frequents salt-water, which, in 

 this instance, was many miles away from any fresh-water river.* 



The length of the hippopotamus has been variously stated. 

 Dr. Edward Riippell, a traveller whose word can be believed, 

 mentions an enormous one which measured thirteen French feet 

 and a half from the nose to the end of the tail ; and he says, 

 that a full grown one weighs as much as four or five oxen. The 

 general colour of its massive body, which is almost without hair, 

 is a light brownish black 5 the head is of enormous size ; the 

 gape of the mouth sometimes three feet and a half, according to 

 the statement of Lieut. Boteler, who commanded the surveying 

 * Journal of the Geographical Society (,1832), vol. ii. p. 294 



