Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-12-12
The Baby Hippopotamus, Birthday.

The Baby Hippop0tamus' Birthday.
The interesting fact of the first an,
nual celebration of the birthday o.
Miss Guy Fawkes is announced bJ
Land and Water. The individual
bearing this much execrated name il
an infantile hippopotamus in the Zoo.
logical Gardens in London, who, just
one year ago on the fifth of November
was ushered into existence-a circum-
stance duly noted in these columns al
the time. Mr.. Frank Buckland, the
we'll known naturalist, called upon
the young lady with the usual felicita-
tions and wishes of 'smany happy re-
turns of the day." He arrived at about
breakfast time, and found the object OF
his visit deeply absorbed in partaking
of breakfast from natures fount, un-
der water. He describes the condition
and behavior of the babe, as follows:
ssThe water in the bath was as clear
as crystal, and I was able to observe
everything that went on. The mother
lay herself down on her side, turning
over like a huge bacon pig asleep. The
young one stood on all fours at the bot
tom of the tank, and took her food very
much after the fashion of calf. She
stayed under water from half a minute
to minute and three-quarters; she
then came to the surface, took deep
inspiration, and sank again, as quietly
as frog. 1t was very interesting to
see with what little splash or noise
these gigantic creatures .can lift their
heads to the surface of the water.-
After she had finished her breakfast,
Prescott, the keeper, enticed Guy
Fawkes and her mother out of the
water; the little one is as tame, play
full, and docile as kitten. We made
her out to be about six feet four long,
and two feet ten at the shoulders. Her
back is slaty black color, but hef
cheeks, chest, and legs are of a lovely
pink salmon color. We calculated her
weight to be nearly one ton. and her
mother would make and weigh about
three little hippos. She eats and sleeps
well; and besides her natural nourish-
ment, her meals consist Of ehaff, bran,
mangold wurzel, scalded oats, biscuit,
and sugar. She is very fond of any
thing sweet. She has already learnt
to beg for food; she put her head out
between the bars, opens her mouth,
and pricks up her little ears when she
wants to beg. The cape of her mouth is
about eighteen inches, she has already a
most beautiful set ofwhite teeth and the
tusks begin to project out of her pink
gums. Her mother is very Watchful
over her, and, if she thinks any one is
about to disturb her child, misses loud
ly like a big snake. Every morning
when it is moist and wet, she and her
mother are let out into the bath out
side; when it is dry and frosty, they
are kept in the house, as the frost
would crack and parch their delicate
skins. When in her morning BATH
she is very playful and plunges about
like porpoise. The pair of hippos
sleep on the straw all night, but they
spend a great portion Of the. day in
their bath in the house in a sort Of
semi-sleep. They float up to breathe
apparently without an effort, like corks
rising to the surface. When under
water, they keep their eyes wide open
after the manner of crocodiles.
When the mouth of the young one
is wide open, it will be seen that the
tongue is arched directly upwards SC
as to form a compact valve, which pre-
vents the water going down the gullet.
The old father in the next den talks
to his wife and child by means of SON.
orous gruntings, and they answer him.
The fathers face is much longer and
sharper than that of his wife, and his
eyes and nose are much more promi-
nent. understand from Mr.. Bartlett,
who kindly allowed me private in
fterview with the hippos, that another
baby is expected about April, and that
Barnum is most anxious to obtain it.
I doubt if he will; let him go and
catch wild baby hippo for himself. y
~Now the winter games for the
home circle are setting in, and the fam
i1y gathered beneath the rays Of a