MAMMALIA. BELLILE. Hippopotamus. 347 



and obliquely cut off at the ends. The feet are each armed 

 with four little hoofs round the edo.es. 



Of this genus there is only one fpecies hitherto known, which is fuppofed to be the Behemoth of 

 the book of Job. 



I. Amphibious Hippopotamus. — 1. Hippopotamus amphibius. 1. 

 Has four fmall rounded hoofs on the edges of all the feet. Houttuyn. Hi. 405. t. 28. 



TIotx/aio; 'ivtto;. Arift. hift. an. ii. c. 7. iz. viii. c. 24. Aelian. an. v. c. 53. — Hippopotamus 

 Plin. hift. nat. viii. c. 25. 26. xi. c. 12. 37. 39. xxxii. c. 11. Bel. poiff. 47. f. p. 50. D°. obf. 104. 

 Gefn. aquat. 494. Column, aq. 28. t. p. 30. Aldrov. dig. 1 Si. 183. Jonft. quad. 108. t. 49. 

 Charlet. exerc. 14. Ludolf. aeth. i. c. 10 n. 1. p. 155. Raj. quad. 123. Shaw, trav. 427. Klein, 

 quad. 34. t. 3. Briff. quad. 122. Haffelqu. palaeft. 280. Forfk. faun, orient. 4. Radzivil, It. hie- 

 ros. 142. Sparrman. aft. Stock. 1778, iv. n. 12; D°. trav. ii. pi. 4. Chemniz, naturf. xxi. 84. 

 Journ. hiftor. 17. t. 2. Allamande, 124. — Hippopotamo. Zeringhi, monogr. — Hippopotame, or 

 Cheval marin. Theven. It. i. 491. Marmol. afr. i. 51. Juffieu, aft. Parif. 1724, p. 209. Lobo, 

 abyff. i. 258. Maillet, aeg. ii. 31. Adans. feneg. 73. Sm. BufF. vi. 277. pi. clxxxiv. Penn. hift. of 

 quad. n. 68. — Cheropotamus, et Hippopotamus. Profp. alp. i. v. 245. t. 22. 25. — River horfe. 

 Grew, muf. 14. t. 1. — Hippopotami, River-horfes, Water-elephants, or Ker-kamanon. Barbot, 

 guin. 73. 117. — Seekuh, or Sea-ox. Kolben, cape. ii. 1 29.— Wafferochs. Knorr, del. ii. t. k. 12. — 

 Sea-horfe. Dampier, voy. ii. 104. Moor, gambia. 105. 188. 216. 



Inhabits the rivers of Africa, from the Nile as far as the Cape of Good Hope, and in the lakes of 

 Abyffinia and Ethiopia, through which the Nile flows. — This animal is gregarious and polygamous, 

 one male appropriating feveral females ; it lives chiefly on the fugar cane, Egyptian bean, and millet, 

 and frequently makes excurfions of fix miles from the water, its general habitation, during the night 

 in queft of food ; it fometimes feeds on the roots of trees, but never on fifties, though fome authors 

 fay that it devours fifti, crocodiles, and even dead carcafes of animals. The Hippopotamus is capable 

 of being tamed, as we are informed by Belon that he faw one at Conftantinople fo gentle that it was 

 fometimes allowed to go loofe, and would eat from the hand of its keeper : It is generally of gentle 

 and inoftenfive manners, and very fhy, unlefs when- irritated or wounded, when it will attack boats 

 and mankind with great fury. On dry land it walks flowly, and even with difficulty, efpecially in-, 

 marfhy places, on account of its clumfy form and great weight ; but when purfued it takes to the 

 water,, where it fwims with great fwiftnefs, and walks at the bottom with eafe ; this circumftance is- 

 very remarkable, as it has no external conformation, like other aquatic animals, peculiarly fitted 

 for fwimming :. It cannot, however, remain long under water at a time, being obliged. to rife to the 

 furface for breath ; this it does, in the day time and in places much frequented by mankind, with 

 great caution, not venturing even to put the nofe above water, but in very fequeftered fituations, and 

 in the night, it often raifes the whole head. When it leaves the water, to graze on fhore, it fome- 

 times puts out half the body to look around, but fometimes ruftres out at once with great impetuo- 

 fity, and tramples every thing which it encounters under foot. It generally fleeps in places which 

 are overgrown with reeds, either on the banks of ravers, or in iflands, and in thefe places the female- 

 brings forth one young at a time, which flie fuckles in the water. The voice is between that of a- 

 Horfe and. an Elephant, or a Buffalo, and is very foncrous. 



X x 2 The- 



