290 
plot's KATUEAL HISTOET. [Book VIII. 
sight of this animal is said to be dull when it is in the water, 
but, when out of the water, piercing in the extreme ; it always 
passes the four winter months in a cave, without taking food.^^ 
Some persons say, that this is the only animal that continues 
to increase in size as long as it lives ; it is very long-lived. 
CHIP. 39. THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 
The Nile produces the hippopotamus, another wild beast, 
of a still greater size. It has the cloven hoof of the ox ; the 
back, the mane, and the neighing of the horse ; and the 
turned-up snout, the tail, and the hooked teeth of the wild 
boar, but not so dangerous.^ The hide is impenetrable, ex- 
cept when it has been soaked with water ; and it is used for 
making shields and helmets.^ This animal lays waste the 
standing corn, and determines beforehand what part it shall 
ravage on the following day ; it is said also, that it enters 
the field backwards, to prevent any ambush being laid for it 
on its return. 
CHAP. 40. (26.) WHO PIEST EXHIBITED THE HIPPOPOTAMUS 
AND THE CEOCODILE AT EOME. 
M. Scaurus was the first who exhibited this animal at Rome, 
together with five crocodiles, at the games which he gave in 
his asdileship, in a piece of water ^ which had been temporarily 
prepared for the purpose. The hippopotamus has even been 
Lucan in B. ix, 1. 892, et seq., where he describes the march of Cato's army 
across the burning coasts of the Syrtes. 
This, as Cuvier remarks, is the case with the crocodiles of North Ame- 
rica, which, Hke other reptiles, become torpid during the cold season ; 
Ajasson, vol. vi. p. 444 ; Lemaire, vol. iii. p. 424, — B. 
^ Cuvier remarks, as singular, that the descriptions given by the ancients 
of the hippopotamus should have been incorrect, more especially with re - 
ference to Herodotus, who had visited Egypt, and who has described some 
of the animals of that country with considerable accuracy ; Ajasson, vol. 
vi. pp. 444, 445 ; Lemaire, vol. iii. p. 425. Pliny has copied the descrip- 
tion of Herodotus, B. ii. c. 71, almost verbatim, and the same has been 
done by Aristotle, Hist. Anim. B. ii. c. 7. Even the Latin authors, such 
as Diodorus Siculus and .^lian, who might have seen the animal in Eome, 
continued to transcribe the account of Herodotus. — B. 
2 Herodotus and Aristotle, ubi supra, assert, that his hide is so hard, 
that spears and other missiles are formed from it ; the statement of Pliuy 
is, however, much more correct. — B. 
3 " Euripo." See the Notes to c. 7 of this Book. 
i 
