1838.] On the genus Hexaprotodon, 1039 



is confined to South Africa, but the remains of others are found in 

 Italy, France and England ; so that its race may be said to have 

 become almost extinct, and perhaps in the course of a few ages the 

 existing species may like the Dodo, be numbered amongst those 

 animals that have disappeared from the earth in modern times. 

 Even since the time of the Greeks it appears to have become more 

 restricted in its distribution, as it is referred to in their writings as an 

 inhabitant of southern Egypt, where it is now unknown. The very 

 idea of an animal of colossal bulk, capable of concealing itself by day 

 beneath water which it quits only at night in search of pasture, is so 

 contrary to the ordinary character of beings of the present world, and so 

 opposite to the general economy of the living things that surround us, 

 while it accords with the traces of the times that have passed, that we 

 might infer from this circumstance alone, that the condition of the earth 

 is now less suited to such gigantic amphibia than formerly, even if more 

 direct evidence of this fact were wanting. 



The remains of the Hexaprotodons brought to light by Dr. Falconer 

 and Captain Cautley afford the characters of types still more aquatic, 

 and which from certain peculiarities of structure would appear to have 

 been hardly capable of extending further on land than the sandy or 

 muddy confines of their own element. Before entering on the peculi- 

 arities from which this conclusion is derived, I shall briefly refer to 

 what naturalists say of the habits of the existing hippopotamus. 



The body is described as massive, without fur, the belly nearly 

 touching he ground, and the head of enormous size, terminated by a 

 strong thick muzzle, at the corners of which in the lower jaw two power- 

 ful canine teeth are placed, curved upwards with cutting edges often 

 formed behind by the detrition of corresponding teeth in the upper 

 jaw. Between these in front, there are four conical incisors in the lower 

 jaw, extending obliquely upwards and forward ; the two innermost of 

 these are long and nearly as strong as the caiine teeth, but the two 

 outer incisors are shorter and every way less dt veloped. The lower jaw 

 is massive and strong, but much deeper under the molars than below 

 the incisors at the chin, the whole economy of these parts being admi- 

 rably adapted for cutting and tearing roots, and other fixed objects of a 

 similar nature, on which it is said to subsist. 



This description applies not only to the existing species, but also to the 

 three fossil species discovered by Cuvier, who gives the characters of 

 the genus as follows : " Incisors i, canines {\ ~\, cheek teeth J; £ = 40 \* 

 but in the Hexaprotodons of Falconer and Cautley the incisors are 

 six below, and six above, a distinction of itself perfectly sufficient to 



