A Hippopotamus Family Quarrel.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 207, 28 October 1873, Page 7

A Hippopotamus Family Quarrel.

Mr Frank Buckknd, having by the kindness of Mr Bartlett had the the pood fortune to be present on the occasion of the introduction of the little hippopotamus, Guy Fawkes, who is now eight months old, to his disagreeable old father, Obesh, writes as follows to ; Land and Wafor: —Obesh was quietly munehi ing his breakfast of grass in the outside den, I when at a given signal the portcullis of the mother's den was gradually raised, and the two heads appeared, gazing out witli the most comical expression. Seeing liis wife, the old man loft off munching his grass, grinned a ghastlv grin, and he loudly trumF'eted- u Umph;'" , "Uniph," "Uinph." Little Guy Fawkes then came from behind his mother, with the action and stiffness of a pointer when he has discovered a covey of birds ; gradually and slowly went up to his father, and their outstretched noses were just touching, when the old woman sounded the signal for war, and rushing past the young one, fairly challenged her lord and master to single combat. II e instantly retreated a step or two, and his wife began to pretend to munch at the grass, keeping her eye always fixed spitefully upon him. Just at this moment the sun shone out, and I was enabled to see most distinctly the remarkable phenomenon of the " blood-sweat" of these gigantic animals when excited. The usual pale chocolate colour of the skin of the husband and wife became densely covered with spots that looked like thin red gum, and when the male turned his head I could see that they were globular ; they glistened like d; w ozi a cabbage, and stood high upon the skiu like bloodstained diamonds. After gazing at each other for about a minute, old Dil-—:for that is the female's name—made a savage, rush at her husband, and simultaneously both animals reared right up on their hind legs, like ball-dogs fighting. They gaped wide their gigantic mouths, and bit, and struck, and hinged at each other savagely, while the grass fell out of their great coal-scuttle mouths on co the battle-field. The crash of. their tusks coining together was truly Homeric, and reminded me of the rattling and smashing clash, only exaggerated, when the Windsor Park red deer fight with their horns. Fur a second or two these two gigantic animals closed together, and swayed to and fro like Cornish westlers. When they settled on their four legs again, the old woman followed up her advantage by giving her husband a tremendous push, "well hit," with her head ; and, while the cowardly old fellow sneaked backwards into his pond, his wife trumpeted a triumphant signal of victory from the bank. All this time little Guy kept well in the rear of his mother, occasionally peeping round her sides to see the rare and extraordinary phenomenon of a husband and wife having a row. Dil then slowly, and in a shah-like manner, walked down the steps into the water, and hunted the old man about until she drove him into a corner ; she then mounted sentry I over him. The young one then mounted on ! to his mother's back, and gazed with filial rei speut, not unnihigled with impudence, at his i father. At the least movement on the governor's side he sank down into the water, as quiet as an otter, without making the slightest ripple or sending up a bubble of air, and shortly reappeared with his pretty little head, erect ears, and bright eyes, and looked like a gigantic frog. During one subaqueous excur-' sion the little rascal had probably gone up to, and touched bis father, for the'old fellow gave a sudden plunge and jump, as if he had been touched up from underneath by something alive. Thus the three remained for about an hour, staring and grunting at each other. Obesh made one attempt to get out of his corner; and retreat into his den, but his artful old " missis" was too quick for him, cut off his retreat, and drove him back. The little one, I observed, always kept the far side of his mother, in case his father should turn rusty again. In about three-quarters of an hour, the row was all over, and instead of angry trumpctings, the signals gradually assumed a more amicable tone, and it was evident that the two Behemoths were getting into good temper. At last the female swam nearer to her husband, and distending her great nostrils to the utmost, uttered a kind of hiss, not the least like a war cry. When the keeper heard this he said, " They are all right now, sir ; they'll not light any more. See, the old man's beginning to smile, and left off staring." The faithful keeper was quite right, for all three Hippos at once became friends, and the domestic row was over.