290 plint's nattjbaii histoet. [Book VIII. 



sight of this animal is said to be dull when it is in the water, 

 but, when out of the water, piercing in the extreme ; it always 

 passes the four winter months in a cave, without taking food.™ 

 Some persons say, that this is the only animal that continues 

 to increase in size as long as it lives ; it is very long-lived. 



CHAP. 39. THE HIPPOPOTAMTTS. 



The Nile produces the hippopotamus, another wild beast, 

 of a stUl greater size. It has the cloven hoof of the ox ; the 

 back, the mane, and the neighing of the horse; and the 

 tumed-up snout, the tail, and the hooked teeth of the wild 

 boar, but not so dangerous.' The hide is impenetrable, ex- 

 cept when it has been soaked with water ; and it is used for 

 making shields and helmets.^ This animal lays waste the 

 standing com, and determines beforehand what part it shaU 

 ravage on the following day ; it is said also, that it enters 

 the field backwards, to prevent any ambush being laid for it 

 on its return. 



CHAT. 40. (26.) ^WHO FIEST EXHIBITED THE HIPPOPOTAMUS 



AlTD THE CKOCODIUE AT EOME. 



M. Scaurus was the first who exhibited this animal at Rome, 

 together with five crocodiles, at the games which he gave in 

 his sedileship, in a piece of water ' which had been temporarily 

 prepared for the purpose. The hippopotamus has even been 



Lucan in B. ix. 1. 892, et aeq., where he describes the march of Cato's army 

 acroBB the huming coasts of the Syrtes. 



'' This, as CuTier remarks, is the case with the crocodiles of North Ame- 

 rica, which, like other reptiles, become torpid during the cold season ; 

 Ajasson, toI. vi. p. 444 ; Lemaire, vol. iii. p. 424. — B. 



' Cuvier remarks, as singular, that the desciiptions given by the ancients 

 of the hippopotamus should have been incorrect, more especially with re- 

 ference to Herodotus, who had visited Egypt, and who has described some 

 of the animals of that country with considerable accuracy ; Ajasson, vol. 

 vi. pp. 444, 445 j Lemaire, vol. iii. p. 425. PUny has copied the descrip- 

 tion of Herodotus, B. ii. c. 71, almost verbatim, and the same has been 

 done by Aristotle, Hist. Anim. B. ii. c. 7. Even the Latin authors, such 

 as Diodorus Siculus and .Slian, who might have seen the animal in Home, 

 continued to transcribe the account of Herodotus. — B. 



2 Herodotus and Aristotle, ubi aupra, assert, that his hide is so hard, 

 that spears and other missUes are formed from it ; the statement of Pliny 

 is, however, much more correct. — B. 



> " Euripo." See the Notes to o. 7 of this Book. 



