MAMMALIA—HIPPOPOTAMUS. 293 
with its trunk. It is now ascertained that it sucks with its mouth like other 
animals. Mr Cross says, “in sucking, the young elephant always grasps 
the nipple, which projects horizontally from the breast, with the side of his 
mouth. I have very often observed this; and so sensible are the attendants 
of it, that with them it is a common practice to raise a small mound of 
earth, about six or eight inches high, for the young one to stand on, and thus 
save the mother the trouble of bending her body every time she gives suck, 
which she cannot readily do when tied to her picket.” MM. Foucher d’Obson- 
ville, who had also observed the young elephant playing with the teat of the 
mother with his trunk, attributes the prevalent error to this circumstance. 
Te Bie Eel P“P. OP OT: A MoUusi2 
Axrnoven this animal has been celebrated from the earliest ages, it was, 
notwithstanding, but imperfectly known to the ancients. It was only 
towards the sixteenth century that we had some precise indications on the 
subject. 
In comparing the descriptions which we have observed in different travel- 
lers, the hippopotamus appears to be an animal whose body is longer and 
thicker than that of the rhinoceros; but his fore legs are much shorter. His 
head is short, and thick in proportion to the body. He has no horns, neither 
on the nose, like the rhinoceros, nor on the head, like ruminating animals. 
His cry, when hurt, aporoaches as near to the neighing of the horse, as the 
1 Hippopotamus amphibius, Lin. 'The genus Hippopotamus has four upper and four 
iower incisors; two upper and two lower canines; fourteen upper and fourteen lower 
molars. Lower canines much developed, forming strong tusks curved upwards; hard, 
thick, and square; muzzle very large and gibbous; body very thick and heavy; legs 
short, wich four toes on the feet; eyes and ears small; tail short; two ventral mamma: 
skin very thick, almost without hair. 
2 
