Identifier: fourfeetwingsfin00mask (find matches)
Title: Four feet, wings, and fins
Year: 1879 (1870s)
Authors: Maskell, A. E. Anderson- Mrs
Subjects: Zoology
Publisher: Boston, D. Lothrop and Co
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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immediately takes to the waterwhere it is at home. It can walk on the bottom ofstreams, occasionally raising its nose out of water toget a breath of fresh air. At night it leaves the waterto seek its food, eating the herbage which growson the banks. The hippopotamus is hunted for itstusks, but is difficult to shoot since its hide is sothick and tough. Sometimes, however, it is shot, ifthe marksman is able to take the animal in the eyeor behind the ear. A whole herd may be attackedin water near a fall, as then they roll and tumbledown the abyss in the greatest confusion. The natives take the hippopotamus with a har-poon as though it were a whale. A barbed ironpoint fits in at the end of a pole. The hunters gointo a herd of hippopotamuses on a raft. Whenthey are near enough they throw their wholeweight on the poles and drive the barbed ironsdeep into the hippopotamus body. Like thewhale, he dives to the bottom, but cannot escape,since there is a long line attached to the pole which 198
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THE MENAGERIE. the men take to the shore and draw around a tree.When he comes to the surface they attack him withspears, or javehns, and soon make an end of him.Though his hide is nearly two inches thick, thereseems to be no use made of it except to cut it intostrips, to manufacture into whips. It belongs to thesame order as does the elephant. All animals ofthis order are herbiverous. O, what a pretty little triped horse ! exclaimedRose, who was running ahead drawing Pat with her. Thats a zebra, said Frank. Faith, and hes a much handsomer baste thanthe donkey. Why isnt he tamed and made use of,to be sure ? said Pat. Because, he wont be tamed. He speeds over theinaccessible rocks and crags of Africa and snorts de-fiance. He may be petted and caressed, as theysometimes are when captured for menageries andmuseums, but all of no avail. His restive spirit can-not bear restraint, and he is vicious and ungovern-able. Though shapely and graceful like a horse, hebrays like an ass. His skin is

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