Quadrupeds. 2867 



visage to some broad sheet of illustration : the Doyle, whose racy out- 

 line has since appeared in the inestimable pages of ' Punch' : in a 

 word, all the illustrious, by pen or pencil, have enjoyed the honor of 

 a presentation. 



How shall we describe him ? To begin, he is seven feet in length 

 and seven feet in girth : we take this on trust, and so must our read- 

 ers, for we did not measure him. His four massive legs are so short, 

 as barely to keep his belly clear of the ground ; each foot has four 

 toes, each toe armed with a hoof; the outer hoof on each side being 

 smaller than the inner ones ; the foot is tolerably compact. The tail 

 is short, naked, very thick at the base and gradually tapering, but not 

 to a point. The skin is naked ; dark brown on the back and sides ; 

 lighter and flesh-coloured about the ears, eyes, mouth, throat, and 

 belly. The neck is remarkably massive ; the face and muzzle 

 broad; the ears small ; the gape enormous, and opening upwards to- 

 wards the eyes ; open or shut, it has a most extraordinary appearance, 

 a fixed, conceited, self-satisfied smile, or a broad grin. The eyes are 

 very prominent, and the animal swivels them in all directions : this 

 kind of eye is observable in many amphibious animals, as the frog, 

 &c. : it is capable of looking directly upwards when immersed in the 

 water : when on land, it follows the keeper with its eyes without any 

 motion of the head, an action that every one must have observed iu 

 dogs. The nostrils, in being valvular, resemble those of seals ; they 

 are capable of being closed at the pleasure of the animal, and when 

 closed appear as longitudinal slits : when at rest it closes them after 

 every inspiration. 



On land its gait is awkward, slow, and lazy ; the Arab, holding a 

 handful of green tares, walks steadily and sedately before ; and the 

 hippopotamus, occasionally opening his vast cavern of a mouth plucks 

 out a few tares, and allowing them to fall, waddles steadily and se- 

 dately behind ; and as this exhibition takes place in the large giraffe- 

 paddock, there is ample room for observing him : the Arab and his 

 charge continually emitting a cheerful grunt expressive of satisfaction. 

 It feeds on a porridge of meal just such as pigs glory to fatten on, 

 but moistened with milk instead of water. After finishing his repast 

 he gave a grunt louder and more imperative than before : this was a 

 call for water to wash his mouth. Taking a good mouthful, he 

 washed it about for some time, and then squirted it out in a sharp 

 stream from both corners of his mouth. Now the bathing operation 

 was performed ; he slowly descended the steps of his tank and gently 

 floated into the water : when afloat, the ease, and indeed grace, of 



