878 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



OUR ADULT MALE PYGMY HIPPO 



Hans Schomburgk. His mission was to find 

 and secure alive several specimens of the almost 

 mythical Pygmy Hippo. The region which 

 finally had to be penetrated was found to be 

 reeking with cannibals, for whose diversion an 

 imposing company of native soldiers had to be 

 enlisted. Mr. Hagenbeck pithily declared that 

 "My traveller objects to being eaten!" 



The travels, experiences and hardships of 

 Hans Schomburgk remain to be related, for the 

 trophies have traveled faster than their history. 

 At the present moment, the public will be most 

 concerned in the fact that the New York Zoologi- 

 cal Society has secured the best portion of Herr. 

 Schomburgk's catch — a tiring pair of Pygmy 

 Hippopotami! 



The adult male in the case is thirty inches 

 high at the shoulders, seventy inches in length 

 from end of nose to base of tail, and the tail 

 itself is twelve inches long ! The weight of this 

 animal is 419 pounds, and all these figures are 

 offered subject to correction. 



The female is believed to be onhr two years 

 old. It stands eighteen inches high at the 

 shoulders, and weighs 176 pounds. 



The Pygmy Hippo is characterized first of 

 all by its midget size, which in the adult animal 

 is about equal to that of a twelve-months-old 

 baby hippo of the large species. Its skull is 

 more convex, or rounded, on its upper surface, 

 than that of H. amphibius; its legs are longer 

 and more slender in proportion, and its eyes 

 do not "pop" out of its head like those of the 

 giant species. Another striking character is the 

 long tail, which in proportion is about twice 

 as long as that of its only living relative, am- 

 phibius. 



The face of the Pygmy is relatively smaller 

 than that of the large species, which brings the 

 eyes nearer to the median line of the skull. The 

 lower jaw of the Pygmy bears only two incisor 

 teeth, while the large species has four; and 

 while the orbits of liberiensis are large, they are 

 proportionally less elevated than those of the 

 large hippo. As the latter swims nearly sub- 

 merged, the eyes seem to float on the surface 

 of the water like two shiny glass marbles. 



The color of the Pygmy is recorded as "slaty 

 black" on the back, "sides greenish slaty gray, 

 and under parts grayish white." Pending the 

 arrival of our specimens, we quote this remark- 



