18/1.] BIRTH OF A HIPPOPOTAMUS. 25" 



It was certain that the keeper could not remove the young one 

 without assistance ; so I sent for Arthur Thomson, a keeper, and 

 H. North, a helper ; and, knowing the great dislike the female 

 Hippopotamus had always shown towards the garden watering- 

 engine, I arranged for the keeper Prescot to wheel it into the house 

 in the direction that, if she followed it, would lead her into the tank 

 or bath. In the event of her so doing, Thomson was ordered to be 

 ready to close the gates upon her, while I proposed to slip into the 

 den and carry off the young one, North being ordered to unlock and 

 lock the gate after me. 



The attempt was made, and succeeded ; for as soon as the female 

 plunged into the water to attack Prescot and the water-engine, he 

 commenced to pump the water into her face and eyes. This caused 

 her to dive, and thus gave me time to escape before she could see 

 what was going on. 



The picking up and carrying off the young one was not quite so 

 easily managed as I had anticipated , for I was astonished to find the 

 little beast nearly one hundred pounds weight, and as slippery and 

 slimy as an eel. Besides this, it struggled much in my arms. 



There was no time to be lost, and by an effort the young one was 

 removed from the house almost as quickly as it had entered it. 



Placed in a warm room, on a soft bed of hay, and covered with a 

 blanket, it seemed to revive, and, two goats supplying it with plenty 

 of warm milk, readily sucked from a large feeding-bottle a sufficient 

 quantity to cause us to think that we should be able to save its life. 

 But after having taken a second meal it was attacked with convul- 

 sions, and died suddenly about 8 o'clock on Thursday night. 



Since the foregoing was written, through the kindness of Pro- 

 fessor Flower I have examined the viscera of the young animal, and 

 have also been informed by that gentleman that the creature had been 

 evidently suffering from inflammation of several of the internal 

 structures for many days previous to its birth. I think, therefore, 

 it is highly probable that this condition will account for its not 

 having sought nourishment from its mother ; had it done so, 1 fully 

 believe she would willingly have allowed it to suck, as we had proof 

 that she was well supplied with milk. 



In conclusion, I must remark that I have never witnessed any thing 

 like the suspicious, watchful, and determined manner in which this 

 huge creature endeavours to defend her young. She is jealously fond 

 of it ; and the great danger of its being killed by her while exhibit- 

 ing a blind rage on any one approaching, renders the breeding and 

 successful rearing of these animals in captivity a task of extreme 

 difficulty. 



Proc. Zool. Soc— 1871, No. XVII. 



