HIR 
but whether the rhinoceros or the crocodik are 
among the number, we are not competent to ai- 
certain. The negroes venture to attack the lhark 
and the crocodile in their native element, and fre- 
quently deftroy them; but fo fenfible are they of 
the fuperior powers of the Hippopotamus, that 
they feldom even dare to provoke it. 
As the Hippopotamus feeds on fifh and vege- 
tables, fo it is highly probable that the flefh of ter- 
refirial animals is equally grateful to it. The na- 
tives of Africa aflert, that it fometimes devours 
children, and other creatures which it is able to 
furprize by land; but as it's motions are extremely 
flow, animals in general are endued with fufBcient 
powers for efcape. 
A herd of females has but a fingle male. The 
female always brings forth her young on the land, 
and feldom produces more than one at a time : at 
fuch feafons flie is extremely timorous; and no 
fooner hears the flightell noife, than flie dailies into 
the ftream, and is immediately followed by her 
offspring. 
Thefe animals are capable of being tamed ; and 
Belon fays he has feen one fo gentle, as to be let 
loofe out of a liable, and fed by it's keeper, without 
attempting any mifchief. In fome places they are 
taken by means of pitfalls; in others, the natives 
place boards, ftuck full of fharp pieces of iron, 
in the corn-grounds, which wounding their feet, 
render them an eafy prey. 
The young ones are faid to be excellent food ; 
and the negroes, who are in general not very de- 
licate in the choice of their viands, evidence an 
equal partiality for the old. Dr. Pococke informs 
us, that he has feen their flefh expofed to fale in 
the fliambles ; and v/e are told that the breafl: in 
particular is not lefs delicate than veal. The teeth 
of thefe animals are harder than ivory, and not fo 
liable to turn yellow; and their fkins, which when 
dried are almoft impenetrable, are fabricated into 
bucklers. 
This animal, which feems to be the behemoth 
mentioned in the book of Job, was certainly 
known among the Romans; for Auguftus is faid to 
have exhibited one on the occafion of his triumph 
over Cleopatra. 
HIPPOTAURUS. The name of a creature 
{aid to be generated between the bull and the 
mare. Unnatural as this connection may feem, 
Wagner, in his Hiftory of Switzerland, affures us, 
that the animal produced by this intercourfe is 
fometimes found wild in the mountainous parts 
of that country. 
HIPPURIS. An appellation given to a large 
fea-fifli, the Coryphsena Hippuris of Linnaeus, 
having a bifid tail, and fixty dorfal rays; bearing 
a ftrong refemblance to the dorado, or gold-fifli. 
This creature is remarkable for a fort of creft 
which rifes immediately behind it's head, and is 
continued in a long fin to it's tail ; and for another, 
in fome meafure anfwering the above, reaching 
from the anus to the tail. Ariftotle juftly ob- 
ferves, that the Hippuris grows the quickefb of all 
fifh. It is caught on the coafts of Spain, and 
fome other fliores, generally about the month of 
Auguft; and it's flefli is very delicate and well- 
flavoured. 
HIRARA. A Brazilian animal ftrongly re- 
fembling the hyjena. 
HIRUDELLA MARINA. A very fingular 
little animal of the leech kind, having a roundifli 
oblong body, adorned with many longitudinal 
HOB 
lines or furrows. It is about an inch long, of a 
greyifh colour, and fomewhat tranfparent; it's 
bowels, which are vifible through the Ikin, appear 
at firft fight like ftreaks on it's furface; and in the 
middle of the belly there is a remarkable protube- 
rance, which, when clofely examined, is icund to 
be a mufcular body, in the fliape of a fpherical 
bladder: this, when fully diftended, exhibits the 
appearance of a Ipherical air-pump, and has all 
the properties of that machine, which the animal 
employs at convenience. It's common figure re- 
fembles the cup of an acorn, with the mouth a 
little contracted. The head of the animal refem- 
bles that of the common leech. That part of the 
body which reaches from the head to the middle 
protuberance is of a very irregular form, frequently 
in motion, and continually varying it's fiiape; 
but the other parts move more flowly and lefs fre- 
quently, and preferve their figure unaltered. 
When this creature is defirous of afr xing itfelf 
to any other bodyj it makes ufe of it's protube- 
rance applied clofely to the fubfiance, and ex- 
haufted of air: hence the external air fo firmly 
prefies it's fides againft the objedl, that it is with 
difficulty removed. 
HIRUDO. See Leech. 
HIRUNDO. The claffical name of the fwal- 
low. See Swallow. 
HISTRIX. See Porcupine. 
HOACTLI. An American bird defcribed 
by Nieremberg, about the fize of the common 
hen. The legs and neck are long; the head is 
black, and adorned with a beautiful crefb of the 
fame colour; the whole body is white; but the tail 
and the upper fides of the wings are grey. The 
wings have a greeniih caft; the back is fometimes 
varied with black feathers; the legs are of a pale 
white colour; and a circle of white, beginning at 
the eyes, encompaffes the head. This bird is 
common near the Mexican lakes, and builds it's 
neft among the reeds and fedges that fringe their 
margins. 
HOACTON. A Mexican bird defcribed by 
Nieremberg; which, according to his account, 
feems to be of the heron or bittern kind. The 
belly and neck are white, flightiy varied with 
brown ; the reft of the body is brown, variegated 
with white ; and the eyes are large, with pale-co- 
loured irides. 
HOACTZIN. An appellation under which 
Nieremberg has brought to our notice a fpecies of 
American bird about the fize of the hen. The 
beak is crooked ; the breaft is of a yellowifh vv'hite 
colour; the wings and tail are variegated with 
large pale grey and white Ipots; the neck and back 
are of a brownifli yellow hue; and the head is 
adorned with a creft of white feathers, the inner 
webs of which are black. This bird, which is 
feen near Mexico in the autumnal feafon, gene- 
rally frequents high trees in the vicinity of waters. 
It feeds on fnakes and other reptiles; and it's voice 
is loud and difagreeable. 
HOANGICOYA. The nam.e of an amphi- 
bious animal, faid to be a bird in fummer, and a 
fifli in winter. See Croceus. 
HOBBY; the Falco Subbuteo of Linn^us. 
This bird, which is of the long-winged hawk 
kind, was formerly ufed in the humbler walks of 
falconry, particularly in what was termed Daring 
of Larks. For this purpofe the hawk was caft off 
when the larks, aware of their moft inveterate ene- 
my, kept clofe to the ground through fear, and 
thereby 
