3 o2 THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 



Addition to the Article Hippopotamus , by Pro- 

 Jeffbr A Ham and , Editor of the Dutch Edition 

 of this Work, 



To complete the defcription of the adult hip- 

 popotamus given by M. de Buffon, nothing is 

 wanting but a genuine figure of the animal. M. 

 de Buffon, who is always original, chofe not to 

 copy the figures publifhed by different authors. 

 They are all too imperfect to be ufed ; and, 

 with regard to the animal itfelf, he could not 

 poffibly procure it. Even in its native country, 

 it is very rare, and too large to be tranfmitted 

 without great expence and trouble. In the ca- 

 binet of natural curiofities in the univerfity of 

 Leyden, there is a (luffed fkin of the hippopota- 

 mus, which had been fent from the Cape of 

 Good Hope. Though it had been tranfported 

 to Holland more than a century ago, it has 

 been fo well preferved, that it dill exhibits an 

 exact reprefentation of the animal. It is fup- 

 ported by rings of iron, and by pieces of wood 

 of fuch folidity, that drying has produced no 

 confiderable alterations. As it is probably the 

 only fpecimen of the kind in Europe, I am per- 

 fuaded that all lovers of natural knowledge will 

 thank me for enriching the magnificent work of 

 M. de Buffon with an exact engraving of it. 

 The figure I have given reprefents the ani- 

 mal 



