36 NATURAL HISTORY. 
trable toa mufket Ball. Being flow and unwiedly 
in its Motion, nature has provided him witha horn 
fo {trong, folid,and pointed, asto enable him to infliét. 
the moft deadly wounds. Many medicinal virtues 
are alfo afcribed to this horn, of which cups aré ire- 
quently made. ; 
His fcent is moft exquifite. He runs ina direét line, 
his fight not permitting him to fee any thing placed 
in an, oblique direction. ‘Tobacco is his favourite 
food.. The horn was formerly ufed by princes, as a 
cup, in order to deteét what poifon might be prefent- 
ed to them; for when any deadly drug is poured on 
it, itisafferted that it will immediately break into 
pieces. There is, alfo, another power attributed to 
this horn, which 1s, that wine, poured into cups made 
of it, will rife, boil, and ferment. ° 
This animal was known to the Romans in the 
moft early ages, and was among thofe of the Przne(t- 
ine pavement. Ariftotle, who. afferts it to have but 
one horn, Calls it the oxyx; and the Indian afs. Au- 
_ guftus introduced a rhinoceros in an exhibition, which, 
he made on account of his victory over Cleopatra. 
See Mythology and Roman Hiftory. 
A : ‘ 
——-HOOV1Oi— 
HIPPOPOTAME or SEA HORSE. 
"Tue hippopotame is as. large and formidable as the 
rhinoceros. ‘he male has been found feventeen feet 
in length, fifteen feet in circumference, and feven feet in 
height; the legs are three feet long, and the head,near- 
ly four. Hatfelquift fays, the hide alone is a load for 
acamel. Its jaws extend about two feet, with four 
cutting teeth in each, which are twelve inches in 
Jength. The teeth of the fea horfe are in great ef- 
timation amongft miniature painters, on account of 
their never lofing their primitive whitenefs; a quali- 
ty which the tooth ofan elephant does not poffeds. 

