NATURAL HISTORY. 170 



extremely thick, and only to be penetrated by bullets hardened 

 with solder. During the day, the rhinoceros will be found 

 lying asleep, or standing indolently, in some retired part of 

 the forest, or under the base of the mountains, sheltered from 

 the power of the sun by some friendly grove of umbrella-topped 

 mimosas. In the evening, they commence their nightly 

 ramble, and wander over a great extent of country. They 

 usually visit the fountains between the hours of nine and 

 twelve o'clock at night, and it is on these occasions that they 

 may be most successfully hunted, and with the least danger. 

 The black rhinoceros is subject to paroxysms of unprovoked 

 fury, often ploughing up the ground for several yards with 

 its horn, and assaulting large bushes in the most violent 

 manner. On these bushes they work for hours with their 

 horns, at the same time snorting and blowing loudly ; nor do 

 they leave them in general until they have broken them into 

 pieces. All the four varieties delight to roll and wallow in 

 mud, with which their rugged hides are generally encrusted. 

 Both varieties of the black rhinoceros are much smaller and 

 more active than the white, and are so swift that a horse 

 with a rider on its back can rarely overtake them. The two 

 varieties of the white rhinoceros are so similar in habits, that 

 the description of one will serve for both, the principal difler- 

 ence consisting in the length and set of the anterior horn ; that 

 of the common white rhinoceros averaging from two to three 

 feet in length, and pointing backwards ; while the horn of the 

 long-horned white rhinoceros often exceeds four feet in length, 

 and inclines forward from the nose 



" Both these varieties of rhinoceros attain an enormous size, 

 being the animals next in magnitude to the elephant. They 

 feed solely on grass, carry much fat, and their flesh is excellent, 

 being preferable to beef. They are of a much milder and 

 more inoffensive disposition than the black rhinoceros, rarely 

 charging their pursuer. Their speed is very inferior to that of 

 the other varieties, and a person well-mounted can overtake and 

 shoot them." The description of the famous rhinoceros birds 

 is very interesting. 



" Before I could reach the proper distance to fire, several 

 ' rhinoceros birds,' by which he was attended, warned him of 

 his impending danger, by sticking their bills into his ear, and 



