444 



AMPHIBIOUS HIPPOPOTAMUS. 



are of a curved form, subcyiindric, striated in a 

 longitudinal direction, and obliquely truncated 

 or cut oiF at their extremities : they sometimes 

 measure more than two feet in length, and A\^eigh 

 upwards of six pounds each. Those in the upper 

 jaw are much smaller. The front teeth in the 

 upper jaw are of moderate size : those of the 

 lower jaw are very strong, of a somewhat coni- 

 cal form, slightly pointed, and project forwards 

 almost horizontally : the lips are very thick and 

 broad, and are beset, here and there, with scat- 

 tered tufts of strong, short bristles : the nostrils 

 are rather small : the eyes small and black : the 

 ears small, slightly pointed, and lined internally 

 with short soft hair : the tail is thick, short, slight- 

 ly compressed, sparingly covered wdth hair, and 

 marked by several strong circular wrinkles : the 

 feet are very large, and are divided into four seg- 

 ments or toes, each armed or covered with a strong 

 short hoof. The whole animal is covered with 

 short hair, which is much more thinly set on the 

 under parts than on the upper. The Hippopo- 

 tamus, v/hen just emerged from the water, ap- 

 pears of a palish brown, or mouse-colour, with a 

 blueish or slate-coloured cast on the upper parts ; 

 and the belly is flesh-coloured, the skin appearing 

 through the hair. When perfectly dry, the colour 

 is an obscure brown, without any of the blueish 

 cast. The skin is most excessively tough and 

 strong, except on the belly, where it is consider- 

 ably softer. This animal is the Behemoth of the 

 sacred writings, where it is poetically described as 



