78 FOSSIL MAMMALIA. 



galus resembles that of the latter tribe ; flat muzzle, mouth 

 moderately divided, teeth rather projecting, and tail like that 

 of a wild boar. He adds, that the skin of the back is so thick, 

 that javelins are manufactured out of it. This strange de- 

 scription is almost entirely borrowed from Herodotus, who 

 makes an additional error in asserting that the tail of the hip- 

 popotamus is like that of the horse. 



It would, however, be inconsistent with our plan and limits 

 to enter into the various descriptions given of the living hippo- 

 potamus, or into its osteology. We must be contented with 

 such references to both, as may be necessary to the complete 

 elucidation of our remarks on the fossil species. 



There is but one existing species of the hippopotamus hitherto 

 known; but Cuvier has discovered two, and he thinks even 

 four, in the fossil state. The first so nearly resembles the 

 living species, that this great naturalist found some difficulty 

 at first to distinguish them. The second is about the size of 

 the wild boar ; the third would seem to be intermediate between 

 the other two, and the fourth, of which some traces have been 

 discovered by the Baron, might have been about the size of a 

 guinea-pig. 



For the knowledge of the smaller species we are entirely 

 indebted to the illustrious writer just mentioned, and even 

 for the full and complete authentication of the largest of the 

 fossil hippopotami. One of his most immediate predecessors 

 in this very walk of science has declared, that, in the course of 

 his researches, he could find no proof of the discovery of fossil 

 remains of the hippopotamus, previously to the period in which 

 he wrote. There was not, however, this very absolute dearth 

 of information on the subject ; but still the most accomplished 

 naturalists have fallen into a very gross error, in attributing to 

 the hippopotamus certain fossil remains which had no sort of 

 connection with that animal. We have already adverted to the 

 mistake of Daubenton, in referring the molar teeth of the mas- 

 todon to the hippopotamus. Peter Camper appears to have 



