THE HIPPOPOTAMUS 



puppy dog, say a mastiflf as nearly the size and colour as her 

 last little one ; that you leave it sucking unseen by her when 

 she is lying down, of course ; if you can apply the little one to 

 her teats, get it to suck and watch the result. 



"It may be the artificial means of restoring to her her natural 

 love and natural instinct. 



" It seems worth trying ; and if she should succeed in noticing 

 it, a second miglit be put to her, in case the first should die of 

 tlie distemper. This hint is ofiered in the interests of the lovers 

 of nature. " B. S." 



No. 2. "Nov.7,l&n. 



" Sir, — Allow me to congratulate you upon the safe arrival of 

 ' master or miss Hippo ' as the case may be, whose birth I have 

 seen narrated in to-day's Times. I wish it long life and happiness 

 on one proviso, viz. that you do not give it the name of ' Guy 

 Fawkes,' thereby reminding your visitors and the public gener- 

 ally of a sad event in history, which Protestants and Catholics 

 alike should wish to be buried in oblivion. 



" Should you insist upon carrying out your proposition, I 

 think you will rather diminish tlian augment the number of 

 your visitors to those beautiful and instructive gardens, in 

 which I and many of my friends have spent so many happy 

 hours. I believe in making these remarks I am expressing the 

 sentiments of a large proportion of the community whose 

 feelings should be consulted before taking a final step. 



" A Visitor." 



No. 3. " JiMi. 11, 1872. 



"SiE, — From the Times of yesterday I see that you made an 

 attempt to feed the young liippopotamus with a -feeding-bottle, 

 but were not successful. 



" I venture to submit that an apparatus which has been used 

 very successfully in rearing a young camel, and frequently with 

 goats and lambs, might be of use to you. If you think so, I 

 could place one at your service if you will apply by post to me. 



" H. S." 



No. 4. " Jan. 13, 1872. 



"Dear Sir, — I take the liberty of addressing you in con- 

 nection with the loss you have just had in the death of the little 

 Umzivooboo. 



81 G 



