WILD ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY 



always shown towards the garden watering-engine I 

 arranged for the keeper, Prescot, to wheel it into the 

 house in the direction that would, if she followed it, take 

 her into the tank or bath. In the event of her so doing 

 Thomson was ordered to be readj^ to close the gates upon 

 her, while I proposed to slip into the den and carry off 

 the young one, North having received directions 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 due time to escape before she could see what was 

 going on. 



The feat of picking up and carrying the young one was 

 not quite so easily managed as I had anticipated. I was 

 astonished to find that the little beast was nearly 100 

 lbs. in weight, and as slippery and slimy as an eel ; added 

 to this, it struggled considerably in my arms. 



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

 with a blanket, it seemed to revive. Two goats supplied 

 it with plenty of warm milk, which it readily sucked from 

 a large feeding-bottle in sufficient quantity, which caused 

 me to think that I should be able to save its life ; but it 

 died. 



I will now give a few specimens of the letters I received, 

 with hints and remarks of how I should proceed in the 

 rearing of the young of the hippopotami. The letters 

 speak for themselves, they require no comment from me. 



No. 1. 



"SiK, — It is only by mere accident, as it is called, that I saw 

 the report of the death of the little hippopotamus. 



" I beg to suggest that if the mother be still in milk — that is, 

 if her milk be still not dried up — that you procure a small 



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