Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/305

 EHINOCEEOS 289 with a circumference of the same, and a height of 6 ft. ; the skin is very thick, arranged in broad folds in many parts, rough and tubercu- lated, and deep purplish gray. It was well known to the ancients, and is generally believed to be the unicorn or reem of the sacred wri- tings, though not of the Arabian poets, which was either a wild bull or an antelope. It leads a quiet indolent life, wallowing on the marshy borders of rivers and lakes, and bathing in their waters ; it moves slowly, the head carried low as in the hog; its strength enables it to pass with ease through the thickest jungles ; it is found in the warmer parts of continental India. In captivity, especially if taken young, it is gentle, obedient, and grateful for kind treatment, with occasional paroxysms of rage without apparent cause; it is fond of bread, fruit, and particularly sweets, collecting and holding its food by the long upper lip ; it is not uncommon in menageries, and has been trained to perform simple tricks, but its intelligence is far inferior to that of the elephant; though these two animals are said to have a natural antipathy to each other, they agree very well together in confinement. The Java rhinoceros (R. Sondaicus, Horsf.), with a single horn, is confined to Java ; the epidermis is arranged in pentagonal shields. The Sumatran rhinoceros (R. Sumatrensis, Cuv.) is a smaller species with two horns and a comparatively smooth skin. For an account of its breeding see Maunder's " Treasury of Natural History" (London, 1874). The black African rhinoceros (It. Mcornis, Linn. ; R. Africanus, Camper), the borele of the S. African aborigines, has two horns, and a smoother skin, wrinkled instead of folded; Black African Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros bicornis). the incisors are either latent or fall away early ; the horns, which as in the other species occur in both sexes, are brightly polished by rubbing against the trees, and the posterior is only one third the length of the anterior, the latter be- ing rarely more than 18 in. The general color in the male is black, in the female pale yellow- ish brown with purplish tints on the head, and the groins flesh-colored; the head seems too deep in proportion to its length, giving it a very clumsy appearance ; the upper lip is scarcely at all prolonged; the neck short and thick, with a deep furrow where it joins the head, and a rudimentary hump on the shoulder. In size and habits it resembles the Indian species ; it was formerly found even on the slopes of Table mountain, but has now been driven far beyond the limits of Cape Colony into the interior, where it is seldom molested. They keep con- cealed by day, wandering at night in search of water and food, especially the branches of the wait-a-bit thorns; the gait is equal to that of a good horse, and when disturbed the head is carried high ; they are usually seen singly or in pairs. They are suspicious and savage, at- tacking the traveller, and so lean that the flesh is rarely eaten; wherever the footprints are seen, the ground and bushes are found torn up ; this they do, not from rage, but in a mere wanton display of strength ; they also dig the ground with the fore feet, throwing it back- ward in the manner of a dog. Dr. A. Smith, in his "Zoology of South Africa," makes three species; Dr. Livingstone considers that all the species made by naturalists beyond two are based on mere differences in size, age, and direction of horns, which vary much within the limit of a single species. The JR. Tceitloa (A. Smith) is a rather smaller species, with two horns nearly equal in length, with more slen- der head and longer neck than in the borele; the general color is pale brownish yellow, with a black mark on the inside of the thighs ; the upper lip is elongated ; it is swift, fierce, and dangerous, comparatively rare, and not found further south than lat. 25. The white rhi- noceros (R. simus, Burch.), the moTioolioo of the Bechuanas, is the largest of the genus ; the color is pale brownish white, with purplish tints on the shoulders and posterior parts ; the head is comparatively long and slender, the face concave, forehead convex, neck long with three well marked wrinkles on nape, the nose truncated, the upper lip perfectly square and ox-like, and the shoulders with a distinct hump ; the horns are two, the first very long and pointed, the second just behind it, short and obtuse. This is a rare species, timid, un- suspecting, easily captured on account of its slow movements, and much prized by the na- tives for its fat flesh ; the food is principally grass. The Bechuanas call the rhinoceros by the general name of chukuroo. The best friend of this animal is a bird of the genus luphaga, known as the rhinoceros bird, which warns it of the approach of danger. It makes a harsh cry in the ear of the sleeping rhinoceros, which awaking rushes off into the forest to escape the hunter ; it perches on the animal's back, returning when frightened or swept off by the branches, and remains with it all night. Gumming says he has often shot the rhinoceros