30. HIPPOPOTAMI AND THEIR HABITS. This
was a very large and fine specimen, shot while in the
water and being dragged to shore by the Kavirondo
natives, who are great man eaters. During the day
the hippopotami usually stick to the swampy lake and
river shores, overgrown with the papyrus plant.
At
night they travel long distances on land in search of
sweet potatoes, of which they are very fond. A hippo-
potamus is usually able to protect its young from the
crocodiles, sometimes biting a crocodile in two, al-
though the baby hippo is often lost in a combined
attack of several of these reptiles.
TWO CENTS
