prickly shrubs. Tlie skin has been said to be impreg- 

 nable to a bullet, but it is not the case. In taste, his 

 flesh resembles pork. 



Before the window on t he left is a Hippopotamus. 

 This animal, which derives its name from nriTog, a 

 horse, BTroTafxog^ a river, is called the river-horse or sea- 

 cow ; its head is of enormous size, and tlie mouth very 

 liir^e ; the ears are pointed and small ; the liair on the 

 body thill, yet very strong', and the colour a dusky 

 brown ; liis bulk is next to the elephant, being- 17 feet 

 in length, and the circumference of his body is some- 

 times 15 J his legs about three feet ; the girth of his 

 head, which is converse, is near nine, and his mouth 

 will open two feet wide ; the teeth of the lower jaw are 

 very long, and so hard, tliat they strike fire Avith steel 

 — this probably gave rise to the report among the an- 

 cients, that the Hippopotamus vomited fire from his 

 mouth. They inhabit tlie banks of the African rivers, 

 from the Niger to the Bergruin, not many miles north 

 of the Cape, near the rivers of which they for- 

 merly abounded, but have been nearly exteminated. 

 1 From his great bulk, he moves unwillingly on land, 

 also from the shortness of his legs ; he easily takes the 

 water, which he prefers, and sinks to the bottom, on 

 which he Avalks ; he cannot, however, long remain 

 under it. A shy animal, he seeks it as much for con- 

 cealment as comfort ; in day-time, so fearful of being 

 discovered, that he inhales the fresh air in places where 

 he is hardly perceptible; if wounded, he attacks the 

 boats with fury, and sinks them by biting large pieces 



frr>nn flioiv cirloo T'lmoo oniTnolo oi'/a 'hrvlcl QnrI rliino'PV- 



