180 NATURAL HISTORY. 



uttering their harsh, grating cry. Thus aroused, he suddenly 

 sprang to his feet, and crashed away through the jungle at a 

 rapid trot, and I saw no more of him 



" These rhinoceros birds are constant attendants upon the 

 hippopotamus and the four varieties of rhinoceros, their object 

 being to feed upon the ticks and other parasitic insects that 

 swarm upon these animals. They are of a greyish colour, and 

 are nearly as large as a common thrush : their voice is very 

 similar to that of the mistletoe thrush. Many a time have 

 these ever-watchful birds disappointed me in my stalk, and 

 tempted me to invoke an anathema upon their devoted heads. 

 They are the best friend the rhinoceros has, and rarely fail to 

 awaken him, even in his soundest nap. ' Chukuroo' perfectly 

 understands their warning, and, springing to his feet, he gener- 

 ally first looks about him in every direction, after which he 

 invariably makes off." 



The Indian Rhinoceros is chiefly remarkable for the very 

 deep foldings of the skin. Goblets, made of its horn, were 

 formerly in high estimation as preservatives against poison. 

 The Indian kings were accustomed to have their wine served 

 up in these goblets, as they imagined that if any poison were 

 introduced into the cup, the liquid would boil over, and betray 

 its presence. 



The upper lip is used by thp rhinoceros as an instrument of 

 prehension, with which it can grasp the herbage on which it 

 feeds, or pick up small fruit from the ground. The very tame 

 rhinoceros in the Zoological Gardens will take a piece of bun 

 or biscuit from a visitor's hand, by means of its flexible upper 

 lip. 



BKULL Ob' THE RHINOCEROS. 



