Miscellanea tin . 517 



to be sunk in grooves or pits of the thick gums : but the animal would 

 not permit any close examination of his teeth ; withdrawing his head 

 from the attempt and then threatening to bite. The muzzle is beset 

 with short bristles projecting at pretty regular distances ; several of 

 them appearing to be split into tufts or pencils of short hairs. Ex- 

 tremely fine and short hairs are scattered all over the back and sides ; 

 which are not very obvious except upon a close inspection. The 

 tail is short, rather flattened, and gradually tapering to an obtuse 

 point. 



After lying quietly about an hour, now and then raising its head 

 and swiveling its eyeballs towards the keeper, or playfully opening 

 its huge mouth and threatening to bite the leg of the chair on which 

 his keeper sat, the hippopotamus rose and walked slowly about its 

 room, and then uttered a loud and short harsh snort, four or five 

 times in quick succession, reminding one of the snort of a horse, and 

 ending with an explosive sound like a bark. The keeper understood 

 the language, and told us that the animal was expressing its desire to 

 return to its bath. The beast at this time was in one of the com- 

 partments of the wing of the Giraffe-house on the opposite side to 

 that in which its bath is prepared. It carries its head rather de- 

 pressed, and reminded me most of a huge prize hog, but with a breadth 

 of muzzle and other features peculiarly its own. The keeper opened 

 the door leading into the Giraffe's paddock and walked through that 

 to the new wing containing the bath, the hippopotamus following, like 

 a dog, close to his heels. On arriving at the bath-room the animal 

 descended with some deliberation the flight of low steps leading into 

 the water, stooped and drank a little, dipped his head under, and 

 then plunged forwards. It was no sooner in its favourite element than 

 its whole aspect changed, and it seemed inspired with new life and 

 activity : sinking down to the bottom and moving about submerged for 

 a while, it would suddenly rise with a bound, almost bodily out of the 

 water, and splashing back commenced swimming and plunging about 

 with a cetaceous or porpoise-like rolling from side to side, taking in 

 mouthfuls of water and spurting them out again, raising every now 

 and then its huge grotesque head, and biting the woodwork at the 

 margin of the bath. The broad rounded back of the animal being 

 now chiefly in view, it looks a much larger animal than when out of 

 the water. After half an hour spent in this amusement it quitted the 

 water at the call of its keeper, and followed him back to the sleeping 

 room which is well-bedded with straw, and where a stuffed sack is 

 provided for its pillow, of which the animal, having a very short neck, 

 thicker than the head, duly avails itself when it sleeps. When awake 

 it is very impatient of any absence of its favourite attendant, rises 

 on its hind legs, and threatens to break down the wooden fence, by 

 butting and pushing against it in a way strongly significative of its 

 great muscular force. The animal appears to be in perfect health, 

 and breathes when at rest slowly and regularly, from three to four 

 times in a minute. Its food is now a kind of porridge of milk and 

 maize-meal. Its appetite has been in no respect diminished by the 

 confinement and inconveniences of the sea-voyage, or by change of 

 climate. It is more than half-weaned from the milk-diet, which, it is 



