THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 247 



little thing was accidentally killed by its mother. In the same place 

 another little animal was killed at a later date, and it became evi- 

 dent that the mother could not be relied on to bring up her young, 

 it was therefore doubtful if a hippopotamus would ever be reared 

 in Europe. Up to the birth of " Guy Fawkes,"— which was the 

 name given to the little creature born onthe 5th November, 1872— 

 there had been eight hippopotami born in Europe ; only one of these 

 survived its birth for any time, and that exception however lived 

 to be the most unfortunate of them all. It was born in Amster- 

 dam, and when it was a year old was sold to an American for 

 800Z., who intended transporting it to his own country. On its 

 way through England he deposited it in the Crystal Palace, and it 

 was burned to death in the disastrous fire that occurred there in 

 1868. 



The photograph of " Guy Fawkes " accompanies this work. 

 When she was born she excited as much interest as a young prin- 

 cess; periodical bulletins were issued regarding her health, and 

 through the careful attention she received from Mr. Bartlett and 

 the keepers, she was successfully reared, much to the satisfaction 

 of the Society and their friends. Profiting by the experience 

 gained, other zoological societies have since this event also suc- 

 ceeded in rearing these shapeless, uncouth denizens of the Nile. 



In the summer of 1870 the bathers and pleasure-parties rowing 

 on the river Seine, in Paris, were surprised and terribly alarmed 

 by discovering a hippopotamus was enjoying himself in their 

 midst, and the panic that ensued can be imagined ; the bathers in 

 particular did not stand upon the order of their going, but went at 

 once. Happily this curious scene had no injurious consequences, 

 but it attracted crowds of people to the banks of the river, and 

 the bridges near the Jardin des Plantes were thronged. The reason of 

 this alarm was, quoting from the description in a French newspaper, 

 that, in consequence of the long drought, the reservoirs and basins 

 of the Jardin des Plantes contained only a little stagnant water, 

 quite insufficient for the requirements of some of the animals, espe- 

 cially the hippopotamus. It therefore became necessary to take 

 this creature to bathe every day in the Seine. A car drawn by 

 two horses conducted the amphibious beast to the river-bank, and 



